Don't Cry Outloud
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: What if Elphaba was able to save Fiyero without turning him into the scarecrow? Set after the cat fight scene, no good deed doesn't happen. Fiyeraba. Second Place Best Angst at the 13th Annual Greg Awards!
1. Chapter one

She knew she should have left him. Knew she should have fled to Kiamo Ko just like he told her to, but for once, her heart ruled her head, and she hovered on her broom above the cornfield, hidden by the trees. Every hit, every break had her wincing, her mind spinning wildly, looking for a spell from memory that would keep him from harm, but found nothing. She could hear the soldiers demanding to know where she was, and Fiyero, her dear, sweet, brave, stupid Yero remained silent through the whole ordeal.

It felt like hours, yet could only have been mere minutes before she made up her mind, anger, despair, the sheer will to protect him took over and she screamed out, feeling her heart and her mind shattering to pieces and the magic she'd been trying to hold back finally broke free of its shackles and lashed out at the men below. Vast amounts of power whipped the breeze into a force that would rival a storm on an October night and the soldiers were either blown from their feet or sent retreating from the clearing. Without wasting another second, she flew overhead and touched down in front of the man strung up on the poles. _Like a common scarecrow!_ She thought bitterly, a sneer on her lips as she scanned the area for other signs of life that she knew were not there. She hesitated before turning her gaze up to the bloodied, broken man before her and she tried not to cry. "Fiyero..." she whispered brokenly reaching up to touch his cheek, blood still warm and sticky and staining her green fingers red.

It took all of his willpower to pry open an eye and gaze down at her. Upon catching sight of his green angel he started to shake his head painfully. "El-Elph...aba... You r-really sh...shouldn't-"

"Shh," she spoke softly, leaning upon her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his lips before discarding her bag to the side and she scurried around to the back of him, pulling out a sheathed blade from her ankle boots, and she began to cut the ropes away, starting with his feet, working her way up to his arms. She winced as he crumpled to the ground, knowing there was no way she could have broken his fall without him accidentally hurting her. She put the blade away and scrambled for the Grimmerie.

He groaned loudly, rolling on to his back. His breathing came out in rattling gasps and he started to cough harshly.

_Stay calm, Elphaba... _She told herself sternly as her hands shook with every turn of the pages. "It's gonna be okay, Yero... I... I can fix this." She told him, hoping that her voice remained unshaken with emotion. She knew before she could do anything else, she had to fix his broken bones. Once she found the page she was looking for, she scooted closer to him on her knees and leaned over him, gently stroking his face and his hair now matted and dark with his own blood. "Shh... Shh, my love, it's going to be alright... I promise..." She didn't want to tell him the next part would hurt and she sat back on her legs with the Grimmerie placed firmly in her lap and begun to chant.

Elphaba screwed her eyes shut as his screams filled the air. She didn't dare break her concentration now while his bones healed back into place. Moments later, she felt the effects of the spell finishing and his screaming quietened, and she slowly, reluctantly opened her eyes. Fiyero lay in front of her, his head turned in her direction and his eyes closed. With trembling fingers, she gently grasped his wrist to check for his pulse, and a sob ripped from her stomach when she found it, much to her relief. She lifted his hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to his skin. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, my heart." She whispered.

She got to her feet unsteadily and packed away the book in her bag and grabbed her broom before attempting to lift Fiyero up off the ground.

"You're not going to lift him like that."

She dropped his arm and spun around, glaring in the direction of the voice and she sighed, seeing one of her only friends in the Resistance. A Bear who had taken her in almost two years ago. "Brennan! What in Oz did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that!"

The Bear chuckled and walked over to her. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is one of the friends you were talking about."

"Fiyero... Yes..." She nodded as he picked up the Prince easily in his arms, his torn Gale Force uniform ruined beyond recognition.

"Come on. We won't have long before they wake up and reinforcements arrive."

Elphaba nodded once more and she fled the scene with the Bear. "He... Uhm... He might need checking for internal bleeding..."

"Maniah can check him over when we get back to base."

"Thank Oz... I thought she'd have been captured..."

"She's a sly old fox," Brennan smirked. "She managed to give them the slip."

Elphaba fell silent at that and remained that way until they reached the base.

"You brought one of them back?! Thropp are you out of your mind?!"

Before she had time to respond, the owner of the snarling voice slapped her hard across the face. She glared daggers at the male before her.

"Lysander, let her explain before you start abusing her," Brennan growled.

"I thought you were smarter than this! You've-"

"Will you shut up! For once in your oz-damned life, just be quiet! Not everybody enjoys the sound of your voice!" Elphaba snapped. "And if you touch me like that-"

"I've done worse to you and you know it!"

"And it's the last time! Now tell me where Maniah is, Fiyero needs medical help."

Lysander laughed in the green girl's face. "Pathetic. You may be good at what you do Thropp, but you really are pathetic."

"Where is she?" she ignored the jibe.

"In the back." He held her arm roughly, preventing her from following Brennan.

"Get your hands off me," Elphaba growled.

"What the hell has gotten into you, Thropp? Or rather, _who_?"

She glared at him. "My friend got himself hurt because of me. He's in there now fighting for his life. I don't believe for a moment that he is like those other men, he's a good man."

"Sounds a bit more than a friend if you ask me."

"Good thing nobody did." She snarked and ripped her arm out of his grip.

"Think Princey would want anything to do with you when he hears what you've been up to? You're damaged goods, Thropp. He's not gonna look twice at you."

"That's where you're wrong. It wouldn't matter to him what happened in the past."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Elphaba ignored him and pushed her way into the room watching her friends work on saving Fiyero's life as he lay on the wooden table in the centre of the room.

Maniah looked up from her work to give the green girl an apologetic smile and shook her head. "We've had to..." She gestured to the ruined pieces of clothing.

Elphaba shrugged. "In honesty, he'd probably thank you for it." She smiled a little, sitting at his side and gently holding his hand. "I did what I could with what I had..."

"You're a good sorceress, Miss Fae. You're stronger than you think you are. You care for him a great deal don't you?"

"I love him..." She said it without thinking and she looked up, wide-eyed. That had been the first time she'd admitted it aloud and in front of someone else. "I... I don't know why I said that..."

The Fox gave her a knowing look and grinned. "Yes, you do. Miss Fae, you came very close to losing him tonight. With a very real possibility that it would have been for good." She paused at the girl's shudder. "He's going to be alright now. A bit sore. A bit scarred. But he's alive."

"As soon as he is able to, we're getting out of here. I think... I think I should lay low, get out of Oz... I have nothing to keep me here now, my sister is dead, my best friend hates me and my brother hasn't been in contact since I was fifteen years old... Oz only knows where he is now... "

"I'm sure your friend doesn't hate you. Give it time, you'll make up."

Elphaba shook her head. "He left her at their engagement party... Left her to come with me and look where that got him."

"Miss Fae, stop that. He's got his own mind, does he not? He surely must feel the same way you do, otherwise, he may not have taken such a risk." the Fox rolled her eyes and paused when Fiyero groaned out in pain.

Elphaba jumped up, gently stroking his hair, her gaze softening as she looked down at him. "Shh... Yero, it's alright... You're okay."

He pried his eyes open slowly, looking into those intense, dark irises. "F...Fae." He managed a lopsided grin that turned into a grimace as another jolt of pain shot through him.

This time it was Elphaba's turn to smirk at the shocked look on Maniah's face. "Where do you think I got the code name from?" she commented and she looked back to him. She knew Lysander would lose it, but she didn't care. He wouldn't be able to hurt her again.

"I'm... I don't... R-egret it."

"Oh, if you weren't already hurt, I'd hurt you for that comment." She scolded, the smile still on her face.

Maniah and Brennan left the young couple alone once they had finished healing him and giving him pain relief.

Fiyero caught sight of the blossoming purple on her cheek. "Th... They didn't...?"

It took a moment for her to remember and she shook her head, cursing herself for forgetting the spell to cover her bruises. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Y-you sh... Shouldn't ha-ave to."

She smiled. "Curse of being green, I'm afraid, my Pretty."

He coughed out a laugh. "Not looking so pretty right now I'll bet."

She rolled her eyes with a sigh of his name. "Fiyero..."

"Wasn't so... Long ago you we...were saying that in a different way..." He smirked, causing her to blush and duck her head. Weakly, he reached for her hand and held it in his. "Fae, lo-ok... at me."

Reluctantly and slowly she looked over at him, her eyes pained when she saw what those men had done to him all because of her.

"N-no. Don't... Don't do that." He told her. "Given the chance... I'd d...do it again in a heartbeat."

She hissed and snarled in frustration. "You could have died, Fiyero! You have absolutely _no _idea of what that would do to me if you had died, especially because of me!"

"It wouldn't have been your fault, Elphaba." his voice gained in strength as the pain medication took hold.

"Don't talk stupid, of course, it would be. Fiyero, you left Glinda and everything you could ever want just to be with me. A home, a life, you could have a family with her. I can't give you that. I have nothing to give."

"And I would have been that same unhappy, dancing through life kid. I don't love Glinda. I love you. And a home? Home is wherever you are, we can make one of our own, I don't care as long as I have you."

She shook her head.

"Fae, I'm tired. I'm sick of living a lie and I'm sick of that damned uniform. I'm not going back there to listen to a bunch of sadists talk about what they'll do to you if they catch you. I'm not walking away from you now that I've found you and I did what I should have done a long time ago." He reached up to touch her cheek. "I love you, Elphaba Thropp. And you're just going to have to deal with it."

"What I do... Where we are right now, it's dangerous."

"I don't care." He told her. "If... If I go back there, you really would mourn me."

"Don't talk like that."

"It's true. The years have been hard on all of us since you left. And I didn't cope very well. I went back to my old ways, Glinda knew... She had to have known. I wasn't exactly subtle. But she stuck by me because she was the only other person in the world who knew what I was going through."

She bit her lip and looked away from him again, the guilt felt like a crushing weight on her chest. "I'm sorry..."

"Stop it. You've nothing to be sorry for."

She didn't respond to that and didn't even look up when she heard the door open.

"Thropp, you're needed for your next assignment."

"I'm not going."

"That wasn't a request."

She rolled her eyes and glared at Lysander. "The sooner I get away from this place-"

"Good luck with that. Now move."

She bit her tongue and looked back at Fiyero, her face softening. "I'll be back soon." She leaned over and kissed him gently, smiling when he tried to keep her there. "No, my love, I must go." She murmured against his lips and pulled away and left the room.

"Don't get too attached. Remember who you belong to." Lysander snarled behind her and they entered another room.

A chill crawled down her spine and she refused to look at him. After two years of his abuse, she was more than used to it, after all, she'd suffered for years at her father's hand. "Just get this over with." She wanted to run. Run back to the safety and the love of Fiyero, she never wanted to let him go, but she feared what would happen next. If they couldn't get out if he saw the extent of the marks upon her body given to her by the very man beside her. In the rush of adrenaline and euphoria of that one moment in the forest, she barely felt the pain even as they lay together.

"Your next assignment is to liberate the Animals from the Emerald Palace and kill Morrible."

"Are you out of your mind?! I'd be killed on sight!"

"Then make sure that you don't get caught!"

"No. I'm not doing it. Find somebody else." She told him. "I'm going to clean up." She added and left the room, heading to her own bedroom quickly, closing the door and locked it from the inside, keeping the key in the door and she hurriedly pulled her dress off, throwing it in the corner of the room and soon she was in the shower. The spells had long since worn off as the water stung the still healing wounds on her back and she shuddered, quiet sobs drowned out by the shower as she saw the new and old bruises and scars littering her skin. _As if I wasn't repulsive enough... _She thought. _He's right... As soon as Fiyero sees this, he's not gonna want anything to do with me. _Damaged. She truly was damaged, at not yet twenty-three, she'd known the horrors of the world from a very young age. Her older brother had tried to protect her as best he could, but nobody could stop the true nightmare that began each night.

Half an hour later, wrapped up in a towel and dark blue dressing gown, she collapsed on her bed, a moan of pain escaping her lips and she closed her eyes. "Please go away." She complained at the knock on her door.

"It's me, Miss Fae. I have something for you." Maniah spoke softly.

Elphaba sighed and got up, heading to the door and unlocked it and opened it for the Fox to enter.

The Animal smiled gratefully and walked in, handing over two bottles, one for pain relief, the other was a sleeping draught. "You know if you plan on leaving, you'll have to learn how to do these yourself."

Elphaba smiled a little and nodded. "I know. It's just... Fiyero doesn't know what I've been doing the whole time I've been away... He doesn't... -"

"Miss Fae, you haven't been in a relationship with our leader for a long time ever since he first laid a hand on you. It's just unfortunate that you're stuck here with him and he can do what he wants to you..."

"Well... Not any more... I'll be fine." She smiled. "Honestly, Manny. I'm alright now. Yero just needs to heal fully and we can get out of here."

"I hope you're right, Miss Fae. We've moved him to a room of his own, just at the end of this corridor and Brennan has gone to get him some clothes."

Elphaba nodded. "As soon as I get ready I'll go and see him before I go to bed."

"You'll have to tell him about these eventually."

Elphaba ignored her and swiftly drank the pain medication and bustled around her room looking for her nightclothes, Maniah left her alone. She eventually pulled on a long black nightdress that covered every part of her and put on her dressing gown again. She knew the Fox was right, but she didn't want to think about it at the moment. She left her room and quickly made it to Fiyero's room, quickly muttering the masking spell just before she entered the room.

Fiyero looked up, grinning at the sight of her. "Fae."

Her heart melted and she smiled back at him. "I told you I'd be back."

"The last time you said that was four years ago."

She walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. "I know... I'm sorry."

He shook his head, gently tugging her hand. "Lay with me?"

She glanced at the small bed and shook her head. "Probably not the best idea."

"Why not?"

"Because there's not enough room, my pretty. When you're feeling better, I'll lay with you whenever you wish."

"I am. Look, I'll move over." He smiled.

She laughed quietly. "Yero, you're quite impossible. Are you aware of this?"

"Absolutely." he grinned and tugged her hand again.

She sighed and made a show of rolling her eyes, the smile never leaving her face and she tentatively lay in the small space beside him, melting against him as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. She knew this was dangerous territory, and she hoped she wouldn't have to explain much to him if the spells wore off and she settled her head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. Strong and steady. She closed her eyes as she got comfortable.

The couple stayed together all night, and for once, Elphaba had slept without waking from a nightmare. She smiled sleepily as the scent of him filled her senses and she snuggled against him.

Fiyero woke up slowly at her fidgeting and held her closer. He looked down at her with a lopsided grin and kissed her head. "I could wake up like this forever."

She smiled softly. "So could I." She shivered slightly causing him to hold her closer to try and keep her warm, and she bit her lip to hold back any indication of the pain she was now in, as dull as it was now. "I... I always feel the cold more..." She told him after a few minutes.

"I'm not surprised, there's hardly anything left of you." He scolded gently. He could still remember being able to count her ribs during that fleeting moment in the forest, and he'd been more tender, more gentle with her than any other woman he'd ever been with. It killed him to see how she would try not to flinch or back away from his touch, knowing the years hadn't been kind to her. "It won't be this way forever, Fae. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, my dear. This life is very unpredictable." She looked up to meet his face. "Hm... You could do with a shower." She commented.

"Only if you'll join me."

She rolled her eyes with a small giggle. "Not today, my pretty. I've got work to do."

"Is this about what you were needed for last night?"

She nodded. "But I can't tell you anything about it. I'm sorry, Yero but you can't know. I told you, this life is dangerous. I've almost lost you once, I don't intend on making it permanent."

He sighed heavily and shook his head. He didn't agree with her putting herself in danger every day, he hated knowing she could come back to him with another mark on her, and he was completely unaware of what she'd already been through.

"I know you don't like it, my heart. I know. But right now, it's the only thing I can do. It's all I know after three years of doing this and I'm the only one with the means of getting into the situation and straight back out again. I might not even encounter any soldiers today."

"Do you know where you're going?"

"No." She lied. She didn't need him hurting himself further by trying to follow her. "I'll be told just before I leave."

"Do you at least know what you're doing?"

"They've had information on a new Animal camp and they want me to go in and release them."

He nodded. At least not all of the camps had soldiers guarding them. "Just so you know... If it wasn't for me not being able to get up right now, I'd be coming with you. I don't care if it's dangerous, but like it or not you're going to need my knowledge too."

Elphaba shook her head and sat up, shivering again as she left his arms, tightening the dressing gown around herself. "I don't want to argue this, Yero. Now I'm going to get dressed." She stood up and fled the room, and to her own room.

He called after her and sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"She's a stubborn one." Maniah chuckled softly upon entering the room.

He looked up at the Fox and shrugged, wincing as he did. "Should have seen her in college. She always claims she's right." he smiled.

"That's where you knew her?"

"She was one of my best friends. I was with her roommate who became her best friend too."

"You were dating her friend but you're in love with Elphaba?"

"I know, it makes no sense. But yeah, that's pretty much it... I mean... I _liked _Glinda... She's a nice girl, but... I _loved _Elphaba from the moment I met her... I just... I guess I didn't realise it until something happened."

Maniah put the clothes on the table and picked up the bottle of pain relief. "What happened?" she gave it to him.

"Did she ever tell you about a Goat teacher by the name of Doctor Dillamond?"

"He was arrested at the school, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, and they brought in a lion cub. I mean... I can't be sure if it _was _an Animal or not, you don't see many of them where I'm from... But she was so desperate to help it... In the entire year I'd known her I'd never seen her scared up until then. I knew I never wanted her to be scared again, and I helped her. We took the cage and we just ran for it. Then we argued. Of course, in true Elphaba fashion she can't let things go without a fight." he smiled. "I knew I loved her when she held my hand to stop me from leaving her."

"If you loved her then, why didn't you do something about it?"

"I got scared." He admitted. "I've had these feelings since I met her, and I had never had them before, not even with Glinda. They didn't make sense and I had no idea what was happening to me... And suddenly everything made sense... That touch... Everything clicked into place and I got scared and I ran. They were both my friends, and it didn't matter what I did I was gonna end up hurting one or both of them. Maybe I should have done it sooner, but I didn't exactly understand what I was feeling."

The Fox smiled softly and nodded. "I can understand that. I know she loves you. She doesn't talk about her past very much, but when she does, you and Glinda are the two people she talks about the most."

He smiled a little. "I'm hoping I can take her away from all of this. She says she has another assignment to do but she doesn't know where it is yet..."

Maniah paused for a second. Maybe there was a reason she hadn't told him where she was going... "I'm sure Lysander will fill her in about it. Anyway, I must be going. Remember to take that and try not to do much today." She smiled and left. "Miss Fae?"

Elphaba stopped outside her door as she put her hat on her head and clutched her broomstick. "Maniah. How is he?"

She walked over to the green woman with a raised eyebrow. "Fiyero is doing well. Why haven't you told him where you're going?"

"Because the reason you had to save his life is that he followed me back to Munchkinland. My sister was killed by somebody dropping a house on her head, and the Gale Force soldiers were sent to capture me whilst I mourned her. That incorrigible fool in there put himself between me and them and let them take him instead of me." Elphaba told her. "I'll not have him getting himself ultimately killed by trying to save me and generally getting in the way." She walked away.

x-x

"Elphie... You can't be here, what if someone sees you?"

Elphaba looked up as she propped her broom against the near wall. "Glinda, get out of here."

"I'm sorry about Fiyero..."

She glared at her friend. "Don't you dare say his name!" She spat, walking further into the camp. "I'll not tell you again, Glinda. Get out of here."

"Let me help... Please..." the blonde pleaded, rushing after her. "Is there much of the original dress left?"

"What? No, I made it. That's besides the point! Leave, before you get into something way beyond your control."

"I'm staying and I'm helping. Now tell me what you want me to do."

"Fine. Want to help? Go and stand guard and make sure nobody comes. And stay out of my way," Elphaba scowled and walked away from her.

Glinda sighed and headed back to the entrance, chewing her lower lip nervously. She had no idea of what became of Fiyero, and her best friend wouldn't let her in, she was completely lost on what to do with herself or how to rectify the situation. She flinched when she heard a bang from inside and looked around her, the commotion hadn't alerted any of the soldiers.

Elphaba quickly guided the Animals through to a passageway at the back of the room. "Follow it through, it'll take you to just beyond the Palace walls. Keep going and don't look back."

"Tha-aank you, M-miss Witch," a Lamb bleated.

"Hurry, before you're seen. Go!" she urged the group and watched them leave. She shook her head. _That was almost too easy... Or am I just getting better...? _She thought and hurried for her broom.

"Elphie! Get out, someone's coming!"

Elphaba nodded and mounted the broom, silently flying out of the same open window she came in.

Glinda carried on walking along the corridor just as a soldier rounded the corner.

"Your Goodness." He bowed his head.

Glinda smiled sweetly, looking into dark brown eyes. "Hello. Forgive me, I'm just at a loss as to what to do with myself today."

He nodded in understanding. "I can't imagine it being easy, knowing your fiance betrayed you with the Wicked Witch."

"Has there been any sightings of him? Or the... Witch?"

"Nothing, Your Goodness. I can't see him surviving out there given what was done to him. He'll be food for the forest creatures fairly quickly."

Glinda swallowed thickly and fought to keep her voice level, wondering if Elphaba knew or if she believed he'd escaped. "I see... I'm sorry, but I must... I have to go." She walked away quickly before he could notice how upset she had become. Her heart hurt, not just for herself, but for her friends also.

Elphaba landed back at the Resistance base and she walked inside.

"Is it done?" Lysander looked at her.

"The Animals are free. I'm not risking my life trying to end Morrible. Get someone else to do it." She told him and walked past him.

He grabbed her arm and dragged her back. "I gave you a job to do, Thropp. I expect you to finish it."

She tried to free her arm. "And I told you I'm not doing it. I've freed the Animals, that's all you're getting from me." She glared at him. "Let me go. You can't hurt me anymore."

"Do not provoke me, Thropp. You know what I can do to you."

She ripped her arm away, stumbling back as she did and she caught herself on the wall. "I hate you." She spat and rushed away. She let out a shaky breath and shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts before she went back to Fiyero.


	2. Chapter two

A/N: This chapter starts at a very high T. You have been warned -wink-

The weeks passed, and Fiyero's frustration at his slow healing was growing, as was the unrest from the citizens of Oz at the Wicked Witch of the West's actions.

Elphaba tried to placate her lover as her assignments became more dangerous and reckless, something she knew was Lysander's way of keeping control of her even now, even after Fiyero had argued with him about sending her out there. "Yero, please." She sighed. "I-"

"Fae, he's sending you out there knowing that you will wind up hurt. You can't tell me you were almost shot down and not expect me to worry about you!" Fiyero snapped. He'd known for years he could never tame her wild spirit, and would never dream of controlling her and refusing to allow her to do as she wished. That didn't mean that he didn't worry or feared what would happen to her while she was out there alone. And now... Now there were rumours that the little farm girl who had dropped her house on Nessa had now been sent to kill Elphaba too.

Elphaba sighed again and nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry." She dropped herself in his lap and curled her arms around his shoulders, smiling when he held her around the waist. "I love you."

"I love you too, Fae." He kissed her lightly. "Just... Please don't go out there tomorrow."

"He won't be able to send anyone else, Fiyero. I'm not sure if you've noticed, most of them are Animals."

"Then he should do his bit once in a while," he grumbled against her shoulder, and she laughed quietly.

"Yero my hero." She sighed gently, closing her eyes for a moment. "As soon as we can, we'll get out of here."

"When will that be?"

She reached over for her notebook and pen from her desk and scribbled a quick note. _I have a plan. I need to find a way of getting the Animals out of here first._

"Take them to Quadling Country."

_And then I need to find a way to destroy this place._

"Well... You have always had a soft spot for explosions and fire," he teased with a grin.

She shook her head with a laugh and tore the page out of the book. "Try and be serious, please."

"I am. And you're about to prove it to me." He commented.

"Shut up." She then muttered a spell to set fire to the piece of paper. It was what she did to every secret conversation they had.

He laughed and tightened his hold on her, sitting back in the chair and bringing her with him. "I'm not letting you go."

She smiled, cuddling with him. "I don't want you to." She closed her eyes when she felt the soft kisses against her neck and she tipped her head slightly with a soft moan in her throat.

He smirked at that and held her tighter to his body, his fingers gliding over the soft ruffles and layers of her dress until they reached the bodice that was tied far too tightly as it had to fit her far too thin frame.

"Fiyero, no." She told him gently as she came to her senses quickly, reaching behind her to move his hands away from the back of her dress. She had been too tired mentally to be able to perform the needed spells.

He looked up at that, as gently as she'd refused him, he still caught the shaking in her voice. Had she expected him to ignore her refusal? What exactly had she been through? "Fae...?"

"Don't ask me questions, Fiyero. You won't like the answers." She warned him before she turned her head and kissed him. "Please, just... I need you." She pleaded.

He groaned quietly. How could she irritate him with a warning and make him weak at her pleading in the same breath? "Oz, woman, you have no idea what you do to me," he told her with false frustration and gasped loudly when she moved quite deliberately in his lap and she straddled him.

"Oh, I think I have an idea." She smirked and kissed him once more.

He gripped her close and stood from the uncomfortable desk chair and stumbled over to her bed, sending them both crashing onto the mattress with a laugh from her. He grinned and kissed every part of her face and her neck, relishing in the giggles it brought forward and removed her hands from her face when she tried to stifle it. "No. I want you to laugh. It's my new favourite sound."

She rolled her eyes and blushed. "Fiyero." She tugged at his shirt.

"Elphaba." He grinned and sat up and quickly pulled it over his head.

She took the moment of distraction and flipped them over so that he lay beneath her.

"How come you still get to keep that heavy thing on?"

She ignored him and lowered her head to his chest and placed featherlight kisses to each of his diamond tattoos, smirking at the noises he was making. She gasped softly when his hand found its way under her skirt and she paused, looking at him.

He grinned at the wide-eyed look as his hand rose higher. "Feel free to stop me at any point, Fae."

She shook her head. "I..." She swallowed. "I don't want you to stop."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She looked into his eyes, and he knew that for both of them the intention was clear. She kissed him again and shuddered with excitement when he finally touched her centre.

Fiyero had long since figured out with a twinge of jealousy that he had not been her first and quickly realised that he had no right to be. He hadn't claimed her as _his _when he should have done, but he couldn't help but scowl when Lysander sought to remind him of who exactly had taken his Fae's innocence. He hiked up the skirt and quickly flipped them over again, holding her beneath him once more with a grin. "Still time to say no, my love."

She shook her head with a smile, fingers fiddling with the belt buckle of his trousers. "I want this, Yero. I want you." She told him, and soon they became one.

Later, they lay together, curled up in her bed and he brushed his fingers through her hair gently.

She smiled sadly, thankful he couldn't see it and she idly traced the blue markings on his skin. She had begun to realise the differences between her experiences. With Fiyero, she always felt loved, her choices were considered, she was safe and she was never forced into anything.

With Lysander, it had been completely different. He always took what he wanted, whether she wanted to or not, and she never felt safe around him. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't felt safe since she left Glinda and Shiz forever. She had, on her own admission, slept with him out of obligation and she had begun a relationship with him out of necessity, he'd given her a place to stay and food to eat.

"You're thinking," Fiyero observed. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

She ignored him while she tried to gather her thoughts, pressing her lips into a thin, dark line.

"Fae?" he stopped mid-stroke and looked down at her.

"Nothing." She told him at last. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters."

"Fiyero, please. Leave it. I don't want to talk about this." She pushed herself up and left the bed.

"Why not? Was it something I did? Or didn't do?" he sat up, watching her pace the room. She was beginning to feel trapped and he knew it.

"No... No, Yero, you were perfect. Far more than I deserve." She sighed, not realising what she'd said.

"What? Elphaba, no." He jumped up, allowing the sheet to fall from his naked body and he crossed the room to her, stopping her. "Fae, that's exactly how it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be good for both people involved. My darling girl... What happened to you?"

"Don't push it, Fiyero. I told you I -"

"Elphaba, did you sleep with me because you thought it was what you had to do? Is that what you've been doing the whole time you've been gone?"

She froze for a moment with a glare and then she acted. She didn't know what made her snap, but she had slapped him before she could stop herself. She froze again, her eyes wide and regretful and filled with unshed tears, then she turned and bolted for the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Fiyero glared at the door and put his clothes back on, trying to ignore the sudden rush of anger at the slap and at her whole situation. "Come and find me when you're ready to talk." He spoke clearly, unlocking the bedroom door and walked out, closing it quietly behind him.

Elphaba slid down the door, sinking to her knees and she curled herself as small as she could manage and she sobbed quietly. _I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... _She repeated to herself over and over again inside her head.

"I told you he wouldn't want anything to do with you," Lysander smirked when he saw her come out for dinner a few hours later, seeing her look defeated and trying to clear up any evidence that she had been crying.

Elphaba wisely held her tongue and sat down between a Cat and Brennan, though her gut twisted painfully and her heart broke even more. She looked up as Maniah entered the dining room, presumably to take dinner to Fiyero, but the Fox gave her no indications. _Of course, he's right... Fiyero will come to his senses soon enough. _She thought. _Thank Oz he never saw the scars..._ She remained quiet and only ate a small amount of food, and then she got up to leave the room, ignoring Lysander when he called after her. Her feet felt heavy as they carried her to Fiyero's room and she knocked on the door, waiting nervously.

Fiyero left his empty plate on the desk and walked to the door, throwing it open, ready with a remark and he stopped himself upon seeing her face. His heart constricted when he saw the heartbroken look through the flimsy mask of indifference that she was trying to keep up and the tears in her eyes, he dragged her into a tight hug and she lost all composure.

She clung to him as she burst into tears again and she buried her head into his chest. She flinched when she heard the door slam and held him tighter.

"I'm sorry, Fae..." He whispered in her ear. He realised immediately that he hated to see her crying and he kissed her head, the sounds of her sobs tore at his heart. He closed his eyes and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her, and he stayed there with her until she eventually calmed down.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry..."

"Fae, no," he told her gently. "I shouldn't have said what I did." He lifted her head and kissed her nose. "I just want to help you."

She shook her head. "You can't..."

"Why not?"

"Because the past doesn't matter."

He sighed and shook his head, resting his forehead against hers. "Of course, it matters... It's affecting you now, it's hurting you now."

"I don't want to talk about it... Please?"

He paused and nodded. He wouldn't push her now. "Alright... But I'm here if you change your mind."

She didn't change her mind and the subject matter was closed. Instead, she threw herself into planning her escape and a way to get her friends out of the base, she had decided it was time to stop her reckless behaviour, she knew she was never going to win against the Wizard. She sat at his desk, scribbling away furiously on some paper she found.

"Where exactly are we?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"Somewhere in the depths of the Great Gilikin Forest. Why?"

"I was just thinking... Kiamo Ko is about... two days walk from the edge of the forest. We've only really stayed there in the summers and when we've held events there."

She looked over her shoulder at him curiously.

"We can send your friends south and we can head West," he suggested. "We would be safe there. It would need a bit of a makeover...but anything has to be better than here, always looking over your shoulder and being sent out to places you don't want to go."

She sighed and nodded. "I guess so..." she looked back at what she had written down and rubbed her eyes which had begun to sting with fatigue and she sat back in the chair. "I just... I know it has to end. I _know _that I can't keep going like this... Where does it end? It seems that no matter how many Animals I save, there are hundreds more being captured... He got what he wanted, he's beaten me."

"He hasn't. Fae just because you realise that you can't keep going, and you can't protect everyone, that doesn't mean he's beat you. You're just one woman. A very beautiful woman, I must add." he grinned at her blushing.

"You're incorrigible." she smiled fondly.

"It's all true." he pecked her lips quickly. "And I get to call you mine."

She nodded and stared out of the window into the woodland beyond. "Are you sure that Kiamo Ko will be safe?"

"One hundred per cent," he told her. "My family don't use it. Nobody would disturb us."

"Can we go there tonight? It would mean flying though..."

He nodded and kissed her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Whatever you wish." he grinned.

She smiled at him over her shoulder and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." he let her go when she stood up. He brushed her hair out of her face, freezing for a moment when she flinched at the contact. "Fae?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she told him. "It doesn't matter right now."

He shook his head and dropped his hand, walking away from her to the other side of the room.

"I'll... I'm just going to change," she spoke softly and ran out, and straight into Lysander.

The older male glared darkly at her and dragged her to his room, ignoring her struggling and he threw her to the floor. "You're not going anywhere tonight, Thropp." He growled menacingly as he loomed over her.

"N-no... Lysander, please... please don't do this..." she shuffled away from him and struggled to her feet, she cried out when he slapped her hard across the face.

"Silence, witch."

She bit her lip as she tried to summon an ounce of courage, a modicum of her magic within her, his words sparking something inside her. "You're right... I am a witch." She spoke after a moment, her power gathering inside of her. No, she knew she could leave, knew she had somewhere safe to escape to and as long as Fiyero was by her side, she would be safe and she would be protected. Her lips curved into a smirk and she whispered a simple spell that froze him into place. "I will get out of here, Lysander. And when I do, you will not hurt me again." she turned on her heel and walked out, heading to her bedroom to pack a small bag of her belongings, grabbed her broom and then she made her way back to Fiyero.

"What's that?"

"Just a few things I want to take with me." she smiled.

He grinned and nodded. "Fine by me. We'll make it our home." he picked her up and spun her around. Unfortunately for her, being up close meant he spotted the handprint mark on her face and he stopped. "Fae? Who gave that to you?"

"Nobody... I hit myself with the door."

"Don't lie to me. Who hurt you?"

She shook her head. "Fine...but I'm not telling you here..."

"It was him, wasn't it. That asshole leader of this whole thing!" Fiyero glared.

"Yero, please. You can't do anything, I have this whole thing under control." She was in front of him, her hands on his face, softly caressing his skin. "Please... Please, my love, don't do anything rash..."

"He _hit _you, Fae! No man should ever do that!"

_Oh, trust me, he's done more than hit me. _She thought bitterly and shook her head, looking up at him. "I know. I know, gentle heart, but it's the last time. I promise you, it's the last time he does it. I'll make sure of it."

It took a while to coax him out of his anger, but soon after, they had taken to the skies, leaping from his bedroom window on to the broom and she took off into the sunset, heading west. Half an hour later, they arrived at Kiamo Ko, touching down at the doors of the old fortress.

"Well... At least it still has a roof," she spoke dryly, eliciting a laugh from the man beside her.

"It's not that bad! C'mon," he took her by the hand and lead her inside. "It just... needs a bit of TLC... I can get started on the repairs while you find a place for your friends to go."

She raised an eyebrow and said nothing as he continued to give her a tour of the castle that was to be their new home.

"Actually... I have something to show you." He lead her up to the highest tower. "Look out that window."

Elphaba looked confused for a moment before slowly making her way to the window he pointed at, and she gasped softly, the view of the Emerald City could be seen in the distance.

He grinned. "Now go to the other one."

Tentatively she walked to the other side of the tower, staring out at the vast mountains and open land. She jumped a little when she felt his arms around her.

"You can't really see it from here... But just past the horizon is where I grew up. Whinchester has always been home for me."

She smiled softly. "Home... Home for me was Shiz. With you and... w-with Glinda..."

He held her tighter. "You'll make up. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be sure? Yero, we betrayed her in the worst possible way."

"Because I know you both. You love each other too much to depart this world without forgiving each other. Even if she doesn't forgive me, I can live with that, because I knew I didn't love her and I stayed with her all the same."

She sighed.

"I was going to tell you. The day you left... I... I had this whole speech prepared and... and the poppies... And then I saw you. Oz, you looked so happy, so calm, so peaceful. I couldn't ruin that for you. So I decided to wait until you come back. Only..."

"I didn't..."

He nodded.

"What would you have said to me that day?"

"You'll laugh at me."

"I won't. I promise."

"I would have... I would have told you the truth, that I loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, and that I was lucky to be considered your friend. I would have told you that you're beautiful and that I would do anything for you. I would have asked you to give me a chance to prove myself to you, to give us a chance, and I promise never to hurt you." He told her. "I think about that lion cub every day, what would become of us now if I hadn't got scared by my own feelings and ran for it? Where would we be now?"

Elphaba smiled softly as she listened to him, and finally, she turned in his arms to face him. "We wouldn't be making up for lost time." She told him quietly. "I probably wouldn't be here now. Or maybe I would. I don't know. It's too late for maybes, my pretty. There is a future for us, I'm not entirely sure what that future is, but whatever it is... As long as I'm with you, I'm home."

He kissed her and spun her around again, her laugh ringing through the tower. "I love you." He told her honestly.

"I love you too."

Eventually, he showed her to one of the bedrooms, she lit the torches with her magic along the way. She walked inside with trepidation and looked around her. "Yero...?"

"This was my room." He told her, taking her bag and started unpacking the little clothes she had. "And now it's ours."

She shook her head slightly, watching him hang the dresses in the closet. She did eventually laugh when he dragged her over to the bed and they fell into the soft mattress together. She looked up at him coyly.

"Fae, when I said ours, I meant it," he smirked as he hovered over her and kissed her. "No more making up for the time we lost." He kissed the mark on her cheek, and then her nose, and every inch of green skin he could find, making her laugh again, making her forget the traumas of her past.

"And what if your family disapprove?" she turned on her side as he lay beside her.

"Then they'll just have to get over it." he shook his head. "Truthfully, I can't see them not liking you. They knew about you, right from the start. My sisters even asked me why I was with Glinda. My older brother couldn't care less. "

"How many sisters do you have?"

"Four... one older, the rest are younger," he told her.

"I have an older brother," she commented. "I haven't seen Shell for almost ten years..."

"Oz... I can't imagine not seeing any of my sisters for that long, or...As irritating as he is...my brother. Has he written to you?"

"Yero, if they fully support the Wizard, you might never see them again," she told him and shook her head. "Not since I left Shiz... last I heard he was in Ix."

"That bastard can't touch these lands. He has no claims over any of the tribes. The Arjiki are a peaceful people, it's tribes like the Scrows and Ugabu that give the Vinkus its uncivilized title."

She looked up at him. "I don't know how anyone could dislike this place. I think it's beautiful."

He grinned. "One of these days, I'll show you more."

She nodded with a smile. "I think I'd like that."

"And then if you wanted, I could take you to meet my family. And one day we can look for your brother."

She nodded again, looking at him. "Alright."

He rested his hand on her hip and kissed her lightly. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She sighed softly, toying with the duvet absentmindedly. "I'm just... learning to process a few things."

He nodded. "Is that the first time he hit you?"

"Yeah." she lied. "It was a heat of the moment thing. But I can promise you that it won't happen again."

He nodded once more. "For his own sake, it had better not."

She smiled. "You know I can look after myself, don't you?"

"Yes, but I want to look after you too." he grinned.

"Hm... I think I can handle that." she giggled quietly. To her surprise, she found she wasn't lying. She loved him, loved being loved and being in love, and for once, didn't mind letting him stand up for her if and when the time came for it, and with that feeling came the guilt that she hadn't been fully honest with him about her past. She shook herself out of her thoughts and sat up on the bed.

"Fae?"

"I'm just tired." she lied again. "Maybe we should be getting back."

"Or we could stay here for tonight?"

"We didn't bring any of your medication for your pain." she reminded him. She found she no longer needed her own, much to her relief. "And what will we do for food?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm pretty sure you could make your own. And as for food, I'm a hunter, Elphaba. This is my homeland, I know a few things about feeding myself." He smirked and laughed when she hit him on his chest. "Come on, you practically handed me that one."

She rolled her eyes with a laugh of her own and shook her head. "Shut up."

He laughed again and drew her close. "Stay here tonight. We can go back tomorrow and act like nothing happened if you like."

She hummed a response and curled herself against him, wrapping her arms around him and she closed her eyes. "Terrible influence." she scolded in false seriousness. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep in his arms.

"And you're clearly more exhausted than you let on." he murmured, pressing a kiss to her head. He watched her sleep for a little while before he got off the bed, being careful not to wake her up and he left the room, walking around the castle alone to familiarize himself with the corridors and rooms once more.

Each room he encountered required an improvement of some form, and he smiled to himself, already envisioning what he wanted to do. As a child, the castle always freaked him out, even now as an adult the feelings of dread were still there, but it didn't seem so bad anymore.

The young couple returned to the base the following morning, only to be caught by Brennan, who looked to be searching for something.

"There you are! Where did you go? We've been looking for you."

Elphaba smiled softly up at Fiyero before she looked back at the Bear. "We went flying and we had to sort something out. Why? What happened?"

"Lysander went to look for you and he couldn't find you. He's had us searching all night We even sent Chistery out."

At the mention of his name, Fiyero automatically held her a little tighter with a quiet growl in his throat.

The Bear gave her a questioning look, to which she shook her head. "Come on, we can go inside," he told them. He walked ahead of them.

"I don't want to," Fiyero muttered.

"I know, but it's only for a little while." she kissed his cheek and followed the Bear, pulling him with her. She was stopped by a wall of fur as Maniah threw herself at her in a hug.

"Oh, thank Oz! We thought something had happened to you!"

Elphaba quickly let go of his hand to hug the Fox tightly. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to worry anyone."

"Lysander might not care much, " she started in a quiet whisper before talking a little louder. "We love you, Miss Fae, you've helped us and saved us over the years, we only want you to be safe."

Fiyero watched in awe as the rest of the Animals gathered around them, each agreeing with Maniah's sentiment and he smiled. He recognized a few of them from previous camps he had once been sent to guard, and he had set them free. He knew why Elphaba had done what she had done over the years, to see it before him now was overwhelming.

"I am safe." Elphaba smiled, looking over at Fiyero. "More so now than I was before. I have a plan, but I can't say anything right now."

A Bird on her shoulder nodded and chirped in her ear.

"Thropp!"

She flinched at the voice, her stomach twisting uncomfortably. On went the mask and she pushed through the crowd to Lysander, quickly losing sight of Fiyero and she looked at him with a slight raise of her brow. "Yes?"

"With me. Now."

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and she followed him into an office, where he slammed the door and locked it.

"Where were you?"

"Out." she started as if it were obvious, trying to ignore him circling her slowly.

"Thropp, the Wizard is raising the stakes against you. The child that dropped in from that tornado is set to kill you."

Elphaba scoffed and laughed. "Oh, but she's a child! A pest who needs to be dealt with for taking a dead woman's shoes! She'll not hurt me."

"She would if it came from Glinda the Good. She'll believe anything the Wizard's puppet tells her."

She tensed and forced herself not to glare. Glinda would never... "Yes, well, Glinda was always good with children. I tend to scare them on sight." She held back a laugh at a particular memory of a time back at Shiz where she had been dragged out shopping by her best friend, and she had deliberately scared a group of children who were pointing and laughing at her, and she simply cackled when Glinda scolded her.

Lysander scowled and gripped her throat, towering over her. "This is _not _a game, Thropp. Being reckless will cost you your life."

She slapped him and brought her knee up to his groin, he released her as he dropped to the floor. "And you will _not _put your hands on me again."

"I will end you." he threatened her, glaring.

"You don't scare me anymore, " she told him and she turned on her heel to leave the room. She paused, looking over her shoulder. "You know... I think I could have grown to love you once. I trusted you with things I hadn't told anybody else, and you turned it on me."

He slowly got to his feet and advanced on her.

She rolled her eyes at him and unlocked the door. "Pathetic." she sighed and she walked out before he could grab at her. As she walked she muttered the spell to cover the potential mark on her neck and she walked outside and wandered through the forest. She stopped when she heard the rustling of leaves and she looked around. "Hello?"

She raised her hands in defence as a shiver ran up and down her spine and she glared. "Show yourself!" She spat and sent a ball of fire in the direction of the rustling.

A squeal came from the bushes and a figure leapt out to safety, shaking perfect blonde ringlets and brushing her mint green gown free of dirt.

"Glinda! What the fu-" Elphaba screeched and looked behind her, seeing them both alone, she turned back to her friend.

"Elphie!" Glinda gasped.

They stood, staring at one another for a clock tick before they rushed to each other and hugged each other tightly.

"Elphie!" Glinda spoke again and kissed her friend's cheek, looking up at her. "Oh, thank Oz you're safe... And... a-and Fiyero...?"

Elphaba blinked rapidly, trying to calm her racing mind. "Uh... what about him?"

"I... well...I heard that he was..."

The penny dropped and she shook her head. "No, I managed to save him. Glinda, you really shouldn't be here... I'm told you sent a girl to kill me..."

"What? Oh, Elphie, that's not true! I sent her to the Emerald City. It's the Wizard who wants her to..."

She didn't know why, but she was almost floored by the feeling of relief in the knowledge that her best friend wouldn't hurt her that way, despite everything she had done to her. "I'm sorry, Glinda... for everything... I'm sorry."

"Shh... Elphie, don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong... You can't help who you fall in love with, and I can see why you did. I knew it for a long time that his heart was somewhere else, I just... had no idea _where. _I'm glad it's you, Elphie." Glinda hugged her again.

"You have to go, Glin... You can't be seen here."

"I'm going to try and stop this madness. It's gone on for far too long."

Elphaba tilted her head in confusion. "Glin...?"

"Never mind... Leave it with me." she let her go. "We'll see each other again. Give my love to Fifi!" she giggled and dashed away into the trees again.

Elphaba shook her head. "I... w..." she sighed and made her way back to the base.

Hours later, Lysander had to meet with their connections, he had told Elphaba she was no longer needed for the night. Elphaba had gathered her Animal friends to tell them about her plan. "I understand if you want to stay... But I don't think it's safe for us to be here anymore." she started as Chistery flew into the room and landed at her back, staring reproachfully at Fiyero's arm around her. The green woman gave him a smile and gently patted his shoulder, and the Monkey sat at her feet.

"What makes you say that Miss Fae?" a Lioness questioned.

She scoffed in her direction. "Really? You think I haven't heard how he treats certain Animals here because they've spoken out against something they disagree with? Or when you stepped in to help me once? And the fact he's threatened to shoot Chistery down?"

Chistery screeched at that and was soothed into silence by his mistress's pat on the head.

"So... Fiyero and I have come up with a plan. I know somewhere... a quiet little town in the Quadling Country where I grew up. You can leave and head there soon if you wish to, you'll be safe there."

"And where will you go?" a Kitten asked in a sad tone.

"I want to take her home with me and she can meet my family." Fiyero smiled. "She'll be safe with me. And she will be able to look for her brother if she wanted to."

Elphaba looked up at him with a smile of her own. "I can start taking a few of you out at a time like I used to."

"There's no way Lysander will let that happen." Maniah reminded her.

"Who says he has to know? I am the only one with magic here if I said I was ambushed and a few at a time were captured... how is he to know?"

"Until he starts supervising your trips out."

"I'm hoping by that point there won't be many of you left and whoever is left can make a run for it."

"Or we could all run for it now." Fiyero shrugged, and his love shook her head.

"Too dangerous."

"Fae, it will be dangerous anyway. There's a _child _on her way to end you, most probably armed with a lie about water melting you."

She laughed at that. "Yes, I had heard that ridiculous rumour." She sighed and looked back at her friends. "What would you suggest?" She asked, noticing a few of them backing away from Fiyero's view and she sighed. "Alright, what's going on?"

"How do we know he won't go running to his men and tell them where we are? This is his idea isn't it?" A Sheep queried.

The couple shared a look, and Elphaba nodded at him. "Go ahead."

Fiyero cleared his throat a little and stood up to address the gathering. "I realise that a few of you recognise me from being outside some of those camps out there. And... Yeah, I was part of the Gale Force, but I only did it with one goal in mind... To help and protect Elphaba from the inside, and if I got the chance to even catch a glimpse of her again, I'd have been happy with it. We didn't... we didn't plan on leaving together, that was purely me being near her again, being able to tell her how I felt, I never imagined she would feel the same way. But what you few are forgetting is that I let you out of those pens. I may have guarded them, but because of that, I knew when I'd be checked upon. All I had to do was pretend I was asleep when someone else came to relieve me of my post the following morning."

"I also knew Fiyero because we went to college together. He was... still is, I suppose, one of my best friends, as well as my... Well, we haven't discussed that far yet but he means everything to me, and I trust him." Elphaba spoke up from her chair.

He turned to face her with a grin on his face and grabbed her hand, dragging her to her feet. "Well, I can change that now, if you like." He told her with a mischevious glint in his bright blue eyes and started to lower to his knees.

"Fiyero Tiggular, get up right now!" She crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at him with a smirk on her face.

"Nope." He laughed.

"Get up before I... I turn you into a scarecrow!"

He shook his head again. "Elphaba Thropp, will you do me the greatest honour in being my girlfriend?" He grinned.

She rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh at him. "Yes, you idiot, now get up!" She hid her face in her hands, knowing she was blushing.

He jumped back to his feet as the gathering chattered and a few 'aww's rippled among them, he gently pulled her hands from her face and kissed her.

"I will kill you myself," she grumbled quietly.

He laughed and held her close, everyone else in the room was forgotten. "I love you too."

"Just... Don't tell Glinda you did that... It would give her marriage ideas."

He shuddered. "No thanks, I've had enough surprise engagements to last me a lifetime. Besides, we have all the time in the world for that." He grinned and kissed her again. "Come on. Let's go to bed. I don't want to share you for a moment longer."

She giggled quietly and nodded. "Okay."


	3. Chapter three

Over the following four weeks, Fiyero helped Elphaba put her plan into action. In small, unnoticeable groups, she had managed to lead the Animals out of the Gillikin Forest, and Fiyero was able to give them a route to the Quadling Country that he knew wouldn't be patrolled by the soldiers. A Doe had promised to send word to them once they had arrived.

Fiyero spotted Elphaba stood at a window, and he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "What are you thinking about?"

She blinked in surprise and smiled softly, shaking her head. "Nothing in particular." she turned her head to look at him, she kissed his cheek. "You look concerned, my love."

He shrugged. "This task almost seems too easy."

"We've been lucky..." she conceded._ Too lucky... _she thought. "After the first 'ambush', Lysander has been putting it down to the Animals finding shelter elsewhere... Probably thinks that we won't be safe for much longer with the rebellion getting worse."

"Well, he's got a point. Just... not exactly the correct one."

"Shh." she smiled, a soft giggle in her throat.

He grinned at her and nodded, adjusting his arms around her to turn her to face him. "Fine."

"I just..." she started, then shook her head. "Never mind... it wouldn't work anyway..."

"What?"

"I wish Glinda could know where we're going. I... I'll miss her."

He nodded, resting his head against hers. "I know. Maybe one day, when everything has settled and the Wicked Witch is no more than a story parents tell their kids about to keep them in line."

"I think I want to see her before we go." she looked up at him. "I can't... I _can't _leave things as they are right now."

Every cell inside him screamed at him not to let her go, but he knew it would be pointless. He never could, nor would he ever control what she did. "Just... be careful, Fae. Please, I can't lose you again."

Elphaba smiled softly. "I will. I promise. I know you don't want me to do it, I know you'll worry, but it's just Glinda, and I'm going to give her the Grimmerie."

"Will she be able to read it?"

"Probably not... but she's better at magic than she thinks, she'd be even better if she could just get out from Morrible's shadow. Don't forget Glinda and I took that sorcery class together, I know what she was capable of back then."

He nodded. "We just have to hope that Morrible or the Wizard don't get it back." He watched as her back straightened and her face turned resolute. "Elphaba, no. You can't have that on your conscience."

"What choice do I have?"

"Walk away. Glinda is strong enough to deal with her effectively."

"What's more effective than ending her?"

"You are not a murderer. For Oz's sakes, Elphaba, you feel guilty for stepping on a creature's tail or something! You don't do well in stressful situations."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, commotion, I remember," she said sarcastically. "One last good deed for the world before I hide from everyone."

He winced at the bite in her words and shook his head and dropped his arms to his sides, the words immediately making him doubt their... _his _entire plan to keep her safe and protected. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"What? No!" she let out a frustrated sound and gave him an apologetic look. "Yero, no... I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in the way it came out..." Her hands came up to his face softly.

He shook his head again until he was forced to look at her. "Elphaba, all I want to do is keep you safe, and the only way I can think of is to move away from it all, to take you somewhere where you can't be touched."

"I know... I know... Oz... me and my stupid mouth. Fiyero, you should know by now that I say things and I don't necessarily mean them in the way they sound... Especially when I'm so pissed at a situation and I hate it." She bit her lip. It was only a small action, but she was already missing his touch. "Yero, please..." she kissed him, tentative and gentle, her heart hurting when he didn't return it.

"I don't know what else you want me to do." he avoided looking into her eyes, he was finding it difficult to meander his way through his jumbled emotions and thoughts.

"J-just... just hold me... please...?" She curled her arms around his back and lay her head on his shoulder, struggling with unshed tears. "I'm sorry..."

He sighed and closed his eyes, slowly wrapping his arms around her again. Guilt. That's what he felt, an old familiar feeling he knew well because of the years he'd spent lying to Glinda. And now he felt guilt for another reason, he was keeping her for himself, his plan to keep her safe at Kiamo Ko was just, in her mind, another way to keep her trapped. He mentally shook his head. Would she really be so unhappy with him and not being able to do what she wanted? What if she grew to hate him? He let her go again and gently stepped away from her. "I... Fae, I can't be selfish with you."

"What are you talking about?" She looked up at him, watching him fight that internal war with his own mind. "Fiyero...?"

"You should get to be happy."

"I am! Fiyero, I have loved you for as long as I can remember, even when just being with you, being loved by you, being held and kissed in such a heartfelt and gentle way was just a dream to me..." She paused to wipe away her tears that had started to fall. He truly didn't know that he had saved her in more ways than one. And now he was walking away, she stumbled forward after him, grasping his hand just as she had done those year's ago in the clearing with the Lion cub. _Oz, you really are pathetic now! _Her brain had turned to torment her now. "Fiyero... please... I... I love you. Nobody in this world makes me happier than you... Nobody sees the true me apart from you..." she was trying to drown out that little voice by constantly talking.

He froze at the touch of her hand in his, a feeling so reminiscent of a time long ago, the corner of his mouth twitched in an involuntary smile at the memory. "Do you ever let anyone else talk?"

Elphaba paused for breath and any further words died on her tongue, and despite the desperation and the sadness of their situation, a small laugh left her lips. "Sorry..."

Their eyes met again, doubt mirrored in both of their gazes, he yanked her forward and hugged her tight, a shaky breath finally expelling from his lungs when she held him tighter.

"Fiyero... I really am sorry..." she spoke quietly in his ear. "I never meant... I love you so much..."

"Do you really think that I would keep you trapped?"

"No! Yero, never!" she looked up into his eyes, those sad, lost blue eyes and she hated herself for causing him such pain, however inadvertently, she brushed her fingers across his cheeks to wipe away his tears. "My love, I will never feel trapped with you... Oz, if you knew... Fiyero, you saved me."

"If I knew what?"

"I can't tell you that. At least not right now."

He sighed and shook his head. "Fae..."

"No. Not now. Still too dangerous." She held on to him when he started to turn away from her. "Fiyero, please... I really can't say anything right now... but I can't do this without you... If you walk away you leave me trapped with him forever and I... I can't do that." she didn't care how ridiculous her pleading looked, how pathetic she looked, she knew all he wanted to do was help her, but she couldn't risk him doing anything to jeopardize her plan. "Just... just give me a week. Please, my love, let me just see this week out and then I will explain everything. I promise."

He knew he was pressuring her, he knew he shouldn't have, but he couldn't help it, he needed to know what was causing her to cry and lash out in her sleep every night. The latest night terror had scared them both to the point where Elphaba had refused to sleep since the early hours of the morning. Not once had she called out a name. Not once did she give any indication in her sleep on who was tormenting her so badly. He sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Alright. A week." he agreed.

"How are the renovations coming along?" she tilted her head, changing the subject.

"Still a work in progress, but my brother is helping, and it's looking more like home now." he smiled. "I can't wait for you to see it."

She grinned. "I think I may have a lead on Shell too. I did some digging, and I've heard that he's somewhere in the Greater Kells."

"That's great news! Are you gonna write to him?"

"I want to be sure that it is him first. But before I do, I want to be settled and away from here."

He nodded. His anger flared when they heard that familiar voice shouting angrily for Elphaba, causing her to jump. "Fae, you don't have to go to him."

She levelled him with a look and shook her head. "Unfortunately, Yero, I do." she sighed. "One more week," she muttered, though she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, Fiyero or herself. She reluctantly pulled herself away from him and left her room, making her way to Lysander. "Yes?"

"One last assignment for you, Thropp. If this goes wrong, it will end you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fine. What is it?"

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "You must eliminate Glinda the Good."

She growled. "You sick, twisted son of a bitch!"

"If you won't do it, Thropp. I will."

"Over my dead body! You're not going anywhere near her!"

He laughed darkly. "That can be arranged."

"Why are you doing this? Glinda is innocent in all of this."

"Because she's nothing but a puppet. Worthless to the cause. Collateral damage. Because her death will send a message to the Wizard that we will not go without a fight."

Elphaba glared at him. "If Glinda is the puppet, they won't even care if she's gone."

"But you will."

She growled and spat in his face, an action she didn't even regret as he landed a punch to her stomach and swung her legs from under her. She landed awkwardly on her arm and she looked up with a glare. _One more week, Elphaba. _she repeated to herself. She waited for him to leave and she slowly pulled herself to her feet and stumbled, catching herself on the wall, wincing when she moved her injured arm. _Great... now Fiyero is gonna freak out... _she grouched and continued to glare after the male. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." she slowly made her way back up to her room, holding the affected limb to her body.

"Fae? What happened?" he stood from the desk and rushed to her side.

"I felt a bit sick and... I tripped up the stairs..."

"Here... let me see," he told her softly and he gently straightened her arm out, apologising profusely when she gasped and cried out in pain. He kissed her palm as he lightly pressed and tested her arm, checking to see if she had broken any bones. He frowned when he got to the crook of her elbow and it didn't feel quite right. He looked around the room.

"There's... there's a scarf in the closet..." she told him.

He nodded and went to fetch it, his eyes wide as he recognized the black material dotted with red poppies. "You still have this?"

She looked up and smiled softly. "Yeah." she nodded. "It seems silly... but it was the first present you ever gave me... and it wasn't a prank one."

"It's not silly." he smiled and tied it around her in a makeshift sling for her arm. "I would never have hurt you like that."

"I know she's not _really _malicious."

He nodded in understanding. "Are you alright? You said you felt a bit sick."

She shook her head, scowling at the floor now. "No. He said he has one last assignment for me."

"Which, judging by your face that you don't like it."

"Don't like it?!" she scoffed bitterly. "Fiyero, I _hate _it!" she looked up at him. "He's dragging Glinda into this mess!"

"Okay, okay slow down." he sighed, keeping his hold on her to stop her from fidgeting. "What did he say?"

Another scoff. "He wants me to eliminate her."

He paused, staring in disbelief.

"And if I don't, he will." she snarled. "Of course, I'm not going to, I just need to find a way to keep her safe."

Fiyero didn't think the man could sink any lower, and he shook his head. "We can warn her. He doesn't know where her home is, right? So we send her back there until it's over."

"No, but I don't think it would take him long to find out." she sighed. "We could try it..."

"At least if she's warned, she knows to be careful." he pointed out.

"I swear to Lurline if he so much as breathes in her direction I'll skin him alive," she growled.

He kissed her gently. "Calm down, sweetheart. We'll warn her. It will be alright."

She nodded, but her nerves were wound too tightly for her to listen to him. "Do you know where Chistery is?"

He paused. "Uhm... by the river last time I saw him. Why?"

"He can be our messenger."

"Will he listen?"

She raised an eyebrow. "As bad as I feel about it, I gave him his freedom with those wings. He's done everything I've asked of him so far I'm sure he can do this." She spun to pick up her cloak and put it around her awkwardly and managed to fasten the button.

While she was busy, Fiyero scrawled a quick note for Glinda, telling her to leave for her family home, and that he and Elphaba would explain soon. "Come here," he told her gently, pocketing the note and straightened the cloak out for her. "There." he grinned.

She smiled and they walked outside into the chilly afternoon, the sunshine pouring through the now bare branches of the trees.

"Is that thing warm enough for you?"

"It'll do for now... I think you've seen by now I don't exactly have the luxury of a coat." she shrugged.

"I don't even want to think about how you keep warm up there, flying around." he shuddered.

She smiled. "I made up a spell for it. It heats up the cloak and keeps warm for a few hours."

He nodded, smirking a little. "Of course, you did."

"Did you ever doubt me?"

"Never."

"So, you never need to worry about me, Yero, I will always find a way around things." she grinned as they made their way through the forest down to the river, there, they found Chistery lounging in the water. "Chistery."

The Monkey looked up at his mistress's voice and screeched, leaping out of the water and ambled to the pair once he had shaken his fur.

"Oh, Chistery, if you don't keep trying to talk, you'll never get it..." she sighed. "No matter..." she added with a wave of her hand. "Can you take a message to Glinda the Good in the Emerald City?"

The creature nodded as Fiyero took the note from his pocket. He still didn't trust the former soldier, but he seemed to make his mistress happy, so the creature simply put up with it. He eyed the note suspiciously before snatching it from the Arjiki's hand.

"Chistery!" Elphaba scolded.

The Monkey screeched back at her indignantly before taking flight.

She sighed and watched until he disappeared. "Sorry about him..."

Fiyero shrugged. "It's fine. He doesn't trust me, I get it, he doesn't have a reason to."

"I trust you, that should be reason enough."

He smiled. "I know. But he doesn't know me. You do."

She nodded. "I guess so."

He held her close and he kissed her gently, grinning at the soft moan he heard. He held her against the tree trunk and kissed along her jaw and dipped down to her neck.

Elphaba closed her eyes, sighing softly and she tangled her fingers in his hair. She gasped when he nipped her ear.

He smirked against her skin and lifted his head when he felt her push him back. "You alright?"

She nodded, her eyes slowly opening and she looked up at him. "Shouldn't we wait until we're less out in the open? We're not running for our lives now." she tried to smirk, though it was probably more like a dazed smile.

He laughed quietly and nodded. "As the lady wishes."

"I dunno which lady you're talking about but I don't think it's me."

"Oh, it is. I've seen the evidence."

She laughed. "You're impossible..."

"One more week, and I'll take you home."

She hummed, a wide smile on her face. "Home. That sounds nice."

He grinned and walked back inside with her.


	4. Chapter four

"Glinda, what are you doing here? We told you to go to your parents!"

"I know, but Elphie you're not making much sense!" Glinda crossed the courtyard of Kiamo Ko to her best friend stopping a short distance away.

Elphaba sighed, setting her broom aside. "Glinda... Wait, how did you know to come here?"

"Fiyero told me about it in the note... didn't you read it?"

"No... I was busy... please, Glin, you have to go."

Glinda waved her arm dismissively and shook her head. "Oh, Elphie it's alright! Nobody knows I'm here. I was able to tell the Wizard I had a family emergency and he made Morrible give me time to go home."

"And how do you know he hasn't sent spies?"

"Because you released the flying Monkeys at my engagement party nearly five months ago."

The green woman flinched. "I... I'm sorry..."

The blonde sighed and shook her head. "No... I am." she walked closer to her friend, but Elphaba backed away. "Elphie..."

"You have to go, Glinda. I can't keep you safe here."

"Safe from _what_? Elphaba!"

"From _me_!" she snapped. "I have to... get rid of you... and I can't do that! My next task with the Resistance is to eliminate you. That's why you have to go to your parents."

"Because if you don't do it... someone else will..." Glinda gasped.

Elphaba sighed. "Since you're here..." she trailed off and walked inside, Glinda followed her to her bedroom.

"What is this place?"

"Apparently a castle Fiyero used to come to in the summer with his family." she shrugged and knelt on the floor, grabbing a book from under the bed and she stood up. "I want you to take this."

"Elphie... You _know _I can't read that... You know my magic is nowhere near as powerful as yours."

"Yes, it is. Glinda, You have power, you just haven't been given the tools to harness it and make it stronger. You can learn to read this book." She put the book into her friend's hands.

Glinda caught the slight tremors in her hands. "Elphie, you're shaking." She put the book on the bed and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "When was the last time you ate properly?" Did she look paler or was it the lighting in the room?

"About... three years ago?" she shrugged. "Trust me, I'm not shaking because of that..."

"Then what...?"

"Forget about it for now." Elphaba already had her suspicions about her own health, but she refused to dwell on it. "Glinda, it's important that nobody else gets their hands on this book. Promise me."

She paused. "I... I promise... But what will you do?"

"I have something to do tonight. And then... I guess I face a child murderer tomorrow."

Glinda burst into tears and hugged her again. "Elphie... you... you can't give up! You...-"

"It's gonna be alright... Glin, I know what has to be done. I know they're not gonna give up until the Wicked Witch is gone for good. Even if she never existed in the first place. You're my best friend... the only true friend I've ever had."

"Out of the _many _friends that I've had... there's only been one who ever really mattered."

Elphaba couldn't stop a tearful laugh escaping her and she sighed.

Glinda turned around at the soft tap on the door, launching herself straight at Fiyero, hugging him just as tight. "You better look after her..."

He nodded, glancing over at his green girl who was discreetly wiping away evidence of her tears. "I will. I'll keep her safe," he promised.

"Glinda. The book."

"Oh... right..." she let him go and moved to pick up the Grimmerie. "When this is over... I'm coming back to you." she had to believe that her friends would be alright.

"You'd better." Elphaba forced a smile to her lips.

"I'll send word to you when it's over," Fiyero told her as the three of them headed back outside. He looked up at the darkening sky. "Will you get home alright?"

"I'll get the train... I'll be fine." she nodded.

"At least let us walk you there," Fiyero suggested. "It would give us both peace of mind that you're alright."

"I was... gonna go by my bubble." Glinda shrugged. She didn't know if she could handle seeing them turn to one another for comfort, not so soon after he had broken up with her.

Elphaba felt her gut twist uncomfortably once more. "It's fine, Glinda. Go, before it gets too dark. And stay safe."

"You too. We will see each other again. I know we will."

She nodded, unable to say anything else and watched her friend float away in her bubble. Once the blonde was out of sight, she turned to Fiyero. "I'll try and be as quick as I can, and I'll come home."

He shrugged. "What exactly is your plan?"

"I know the nearest explosion point in that building, so, start the fire near there and run."

"If you get caught up in it, how are you going to get out?"

Oh, she knew she would. She wouldn't let Lysander burn to a crisp without letting him know exactly how she felt. "I won't. But... if there _is _a possibility, then I'll think of something. Yero, I will be coming home to you." Her fingers tapped a spot on the left side of his chest, where his diamond tattoos lay. "I'll come home and I'll not leave our bed forever if that's what you want."

He kissed her fiercely, putting every emotion he felt into it, and he rested his forehead against hers when they broke apart for air. "A week at least." he was breathless.

She giggled quietly, holding him close to her body.

"And when this is over, I'm shouting it to anybody who will listen that I love you."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Oh, Yero..." she scoffed fondly, brushing her thumb against his lips. "Yero my hero."

He smiled, he loved hearing that from her, even if he had no idea how the name had come about or the full meaning behind it. "Go, Fae," he told her gently.

She didn't need telling twice, she kissed him again before finally ripping herself away and she picked up her broom, getting on it and she took flight. She didn't dare look back, for she knew she'd never leave.

After hiding the Grimmerie in a tree near the castle, Glinda attempted to follow her best friend as quickly as her bubble would allow her. Honestly, if Elphaba thought she could take on that horrendible piece of work by herself she had another thing coming! She didn't know who was threatening her best friend, but she knew she didn't like it. _How __could Fiyero just let her go along with it? How in Oz is she so fast! Oh, right... Broom... Concentrate Glinda!_

An hour later, Elphaba landed silently outside the place she had called home for the past three years. She could already hear the rumble of the witch hunters on their way to end her. "Now or never, Elphaba..." she muttered and walked inside.

The building seemed deserted, but as she made her way through, she knew better than to hope.

"I knew you'd be back, Thropp."

She glared in Lysander's direction and shook her head. "It's over, Lysander. It's finished, _you're _finished."

"We can start again. Build our team up again somewhere else."

"I'm done with all the fighting! You and I both know that I won't make it through tonight if those witch hunters have anything to do with it! And I don't want anything to do with you!" she snapped, and chanted a spell, a crash was heard and the roar of flames began behind her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm ending this. I'm doing what I should have done months ago."

"Stop this madness or you'll kill us both!"

"Maybe that's my aim!" she glared. "I meant what I said, you don't scare me anymore."

"Fae, see reason-"

"Don't! _Don't you dare _call me that! You have no _right_!"

"Only your lover can, eh?"

"He gave me that name when we were friends, and I stuck to it." the angrier Elphaba got, the more ferocious the flames became as they licked their way up and headed for them, the smoke climbing higher and the heat becoming more intense. At this point, Elphaba knew her magic would protect her... from the smoke inhalation at least.

By the time Glinda touched down outside, the whole building was up in flames with the two people still inside. "Elphie!" she screamed, though she probably wouldn't have heard her over the fire. She popped her bubble and ran inside, coughing as the wall of smoke hit her and she tried to cover her face. "E-Elphie!"

"I bet he doesn't know everything, does he?"

"Know what? How you used to beat me? He's already seen the recent bruises you gave me!" she faintly heard Glinda shouting for her, and silently swore to herself. _Glinda, please leave..._

Glinda screamed as the building started to collapse under the heat. "Elphie, where are you?!" She tentatively climbed the stairs, and she saw silhouettes in a doorway. "Elphie!"

"I'm assuming he isn't foolish enough to believe _he _was your first." he snarled with a dirty smirk on his face.

"Oh, he's aware. He doesn't know how many times you _raped _me though! He doesn't know that when I was pregnant because of said attacks that _you _made me get rid of both of those babies!"

"You're not fit to be a mother! You weren't then and you never will be! And if you think he's gonna touch you once he knows you're deluding yourself!"

"I was never given the chance!"

"You're damaged goods, Thropp! He'll despise you like everyone else in your pathetic life!"

_That... that vile, twisted excuse of a man hurt my best friend?! _Glinda felt anger and fury rising within her at an alarming rate, she'd never felt such intensity in her life. She stormed up the rest of the stairs to pull Elphaba away. "You did _what _to her?!"

"Glinda, you have to leave! You have to get out right now!"

"Elphie, I am not leaving you with him!" she coughed harshly, clinging to the green-skinned woman as the building creaked ominously.

"Glinda, go!"

"And what would I say to Fiyero?! He's expecting you home!"

"Nothing, because you're not supposed to be here!"

Lysander laughed wickedly. "Looks like you'll complete your last task after all. You're really stupid enough to _die _for each other, aren't you."

"You've never known true friendship or love, so how would you know?" Glinda snapped.

"Lysander, I could have learned to get over Fiyero. If I was treated better, if I was made to feel the way I do with him by you, I could have loved you too. I even forgave the first time you hit me because it probably was deserved! But the moment you... when you forced me on that bed, I... I couldn't forgive that. And then you did it over and over again and I knew you didn't really care."

"Aside from a blonde and a brainless Winkie, who could love you?! I'll bet they've got a single brain cell to share between them both! You're repulsive, Thropp. Unloveable. Disgusting. Of course, I had to take it, think I would have gone there _willingly _if I had the choice?!"

"So you left _me _with no choice?! That gave you the right to take me against my will?! I would rather have died a bitter maiden than be disgraced with..._that!_"

Glinda clung on to her friend, neither woman knowing who was shaking more. "Elphie... we need to go..."

The witch hunters froze outside of the burning building, wide-eyed. The cowardly Lion hid behind the Tin Man, trembling at the sight, and the Scarecrow backed away tentatively.

"Toto! No!" Dorothy gasped as the tiny dog wriggled from her arms and ran inside. "Oh, no! We must do something!"

"I'll fetch him, Miss Dorothy." the Tin Man told her and clinked on forward to the burning Resistance base. It didn't take him long to find the scrappy dog and he reached forward to pick him up.

Glinda had then dragged her friend from the room to another point of safety as the flames consumed the building at a rapid pace. "Elphie... Elphie, why would you do this?"

"Because I can't move on while he's still... there... he's in my nightmares, Glin... he's there when I go to sleep and... for the briefest of seconds... he's there in Fiyero's place when I wake up...That man systematically tortured and tormented me for the last three years and he's only stopped because I brought Fiyero back with me."

"I don't know how you've coped with this pain, Elphie..."

She scoffed, wiping her eyes. "I took it out on myself."

What happened next would become a blur to both witches. The fire tore through the building and it collapsed from beneath them, both women unaware of the Tin Man and the dog trapped also.

Dorothy let out a scream and turned away in fright, trembling as she clutched the Scarecrow for comfort.

Eventually, the Tin Man clambered out from the wreckage, Toto clutched in one arm and a charred broomstick in his free hand.

"Oh, Toto!" Dorothy heard the barking and ran forward to collect him. "Oh, you...you bad dog! But I'm so glad you're safe!" she hugged the animal close. "Mr Tin Man, are you alright?"

"Oh, sure. Didn't hurt me none. Just got mighty hot in there!" He nodded. "But the good news is that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead!"

The hunters cheered happily.

"W-wait!"

Dorothy looked up at the cowardly Lion curiously.

"J-just h-how dead is she? D-did you see a body?"

"Come now, Lion! The building collapsed, she couldn't survive that." the Scarecrow grinned. "And it means little old Dorothy here didn't need to hurt no one."

By the time Glinda awoke, she could feel the cold grass on her back and could see nothing but green and black. The voices of the hunters were long gone, cheering and celebrating the 'death' of the wicked witch. "Elphie..." She pushed her friend off her, no doubt an attempt to protect her from any falling debris.

Elphaba coughed and curled up on the grass and she moaned weakly.

Glinda sat up and looked at her friend, any visible green she saw was blackened by soot and ash or was visible by her ripped black dress. She was sure she didn't look much better if her tattered blue gown was anything to go by. She swiped at her. "Elphaba Thropp! That has to be the most dangerous, brainless plan you've ever had in your life! I could have lost you- _Fiyero _could have lost you!"

"I know, I know... but I knew the witch hunters were there and I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of ending him, I wanted- no, I needed to do it."

"By almost killing yourself?! How did we get out here anyway?!"

A cough. "We quite _literally _disappeared in a puff of smoke."

"A what?!"

"It was a little parlour trick I learned when I first ran away, helped get me out of a few tricky situations." she struggled to her feet and helped Glinda to stand.

"What about your broom? How will you get back to Kiamo Ko? Will that little trick help?"

Elphaba shook her head. "It's only good enough for short distances. And... I left my broom in there... It's most likely ashes by now." she shivered despite the heat from the fire.

"Come here..." Glinda hugged her tight. "I bet the adrenaline has gone now."

She nodded. "I'm tired."

Glinda conjured her bubble and she flew them both back to Kiamo Ko, the journey was a silent affair.

It was long after midnight by the time the women landed in the castle foyer, and Glinda had to keep Elphaba upright while they walked. "Elphie, come on, you need to stay awake so you can tell me where to go."

"No... let me sleep..."

"I think my brother would prefer that the bedroom _didn't _smell like a bonfire display. What in Oz happened to you?!"

"Elphaba Thropp, Oz's resident commotion happened!" Glinda glowered at her and Elphaba weakly waved a hand.

"So I set fire to a building, so what?" she coughed.

"While still inside it! And who are you?"

"Alright, ladies." The male laughed and shook his head. "Let's not wake the entire province. I'm Ambram. Fiyero's older brother." he reached out for Glinda's hand and lightly kissed the top of it. "And you must be...?"

"Glinda." she giggled and blushed, flicking her hair off her shoulder.

"Oh, sweet Oz..." Elphaba muttered. "Glinda! Slowly choking on fumes here?!"

"And whose fault is that?" the blonde gave her a pointed look. "Ambram, would you be so kind as to show me to the kitchens where I can get my _darling _best friend a drink of water?"

He chuckled and lead them both to the kitchens, and Glinda helped Elphaba into a chair while he got them both a glass of water each. "So, is either of you going to tell me why you both smell like a fireplace or am I going to have to guess?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and gulped the water greedily before setting the glass down. She coughed again and sat back in the chair, not looking at him.

"Miss Fae?"

"I went back to the resistance base and I burned it to the ground."

"What were you doing inside? Surely it would have been more effective to be _outside?_"

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Maybe we should wait and talk to Fiyero first..." Glinda spoke gently.

Elphaba nodded. "Uhm... A-Ambram, can... can you please show Miss Glinda to a guest room so she can shower? I have to..." she trailed off and stumbled out of the room.

"Elphie!"

"It's been a long evening, Miss Glinda. Perhaps it would be best for you to wash up and get some rest."

Elphaba made her way to the bedroom she and Fiyero shared, peering inside, smiling a little when she heard the soft snores travelling out of the open door. She silently walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, slowly peeling off the ragged remains of her dress while she waited for the water to warm. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and flinched, looking away as the disgusting sight of green met her eyes. Tomorrow... when the spells would be lifted, and Fiyero would see each scar, both self-inflicted and given to her, would he also look upon her with disgust? Would he recoil in horror as she bared her true self to him? She was already annoying him with her night terrors, already frustrating him with her constant evading his questions.

She shook her head and tested the water, satisfied with the temperature, she stepped inside, closing her eyes at the steady rhythm of the hot water hitting her skin. _Shame it's not hot enough to burn it off... _she thought, washing her hair at least three times.

A hot shower, for once, did not soothe her, instead, it spurned on those hateful thoughts as she scrubbed herself clean of the dirt and the grime and the ash that clung on to her like a second skin. She rubbed at her arms and her torso and her legs as if she were trying to scrub the green off with it, getting more and more agitated with herself when she realised that of course, it wouldn't come off. Of course, she'd be stuck with the horrendible, disgusting skin colour. Eventually, she resorted to taking her frustrations out on the bathroom tiles as she punched them, her quiet sobs drowned out by the running water.

Once the water started to turn cold, Elphaba realised she had to get out at some point, she wearily turned off the water and grabbed the nearby towels, wrapping herself in them, the distant sound of a grandfather clock chimed two. She shivered and hurried to the bedroom and got herself dried and dressed for bed. Muttering a quick spell to dry her hair she slowly climbed into bed and she closed her eyes, sleep claimed her fairly quickly.

When she awoke the following morning, her whole body felt heavy, and she barely lifted her head at a rattling sound in the room. "Mm... too much noise..."

"I thought I would bring you breakfast."

She smiled at Fiyero's voice and she sighed. "Thank you..." she rolled over and he helped her to sit up, propping her up with pillows.

"My brother said you got in late last night." he put the tray on her lap. "Fae, do you want to tell me why Glinda went with you?"

Elphaba distracted herself with buttering a slice of toast, formulating an answer in her head. "She didn't... she wasn't supposed to," she said after a moment and bit into her toast.

"Okay. What happened?"

Another delay while she chewed. "She followed me. She is obviously more observant than we give her credit for."

He nodded. "So... what time did you get in?"

She shrugged. "Sometime around one? I know it was just after two when I went to sleep..."

"Why so late? I thought it was gonna be a quick set fire and run job?"

"Yero... can I wake up first? Please, my head isn't right at the moment."

He nodded and kissed her lightly. "Sure... I'm sorry."

She smiled a little and nodded. "It's alright."

"I'll go and check on Glinda," he smiled a little and left the bedroom, leaving Elphaba to eat her breakfast in peace.

Fifteen minutes later, her blonde friend came into the room, followed by Fiyero.

"How did you sleep?"

"Elphie..." Glinda raised an eyebrow.

She sighed. "Sorry... but I didn't need you to play the hero yesterday. I would have got out."

"What exactly happened yesterday?" Fiyero looked at them both.

"Later, Yero. Later when everyone has gone home, I'll tell you everything."

"No, Elphie, you'll tell him now."

"Glinda, not right now. Please, it's too soon for me right now to even think about it." she looked at her. "Fine, I wanted to make sure he didn't escape, so I went inside to start the fire."

"Why?" she looked confused.

"Did he try and hurt you again, Fae?"

Elphaba shook her head, rubbing the heel of her hand against a scar on her chest that had started to itch. "No... not physically anyway... He tried to get inside my head."

"Again? You mean he knows? And you still let her go off?"

"It was something she said she had to do, what was I meant to do?"

"You should have stopped her going near her r-"

"That's enough, Glinda." She cut her off. "Please, let me deal with this."

"Her what?" he looked between them. "Glinda?"

"I..."

"Fiyero, please... I can explain everything later."

"What else did he do to you, Elphaba?"

"Not right now. A few more hours... please, just give me that. You want your mind on whatever it is your brother wants you for, remember?"

He nodded, falling silent as his brain conjured up scenarios inside his head and he shivered.

Elphaba bit her lip, watching him, knowing that he could never imagine the full extent of what she had been through. "Go, my love, Glinda and I will be fine and this time I'll make sure that she leaves."

"At least I can go back to the Emerald City!"

"Won't that be suspicious? You've only been gone a day?"

"It'll still be a days travel back there... besides I'll think of something."

Fiyero nodded and walked out, still silent.

"What?" Glinda looked at her friend with wide eyes when the green woman threw a pillow at her. "It's not my fault you didn't tell him about-"

"I was gonna do it today!" she hissed.

"I'm sorry!"

Elphaba sighed. "Don't worry about it now."

Glinda paused and sat on the be next to her. "I know we haven't seen each other for a few years, but I do remember your obsession with coffee... which you've left to go cold."

"Huh?" she looked over at the table. "Oh... must've forgotten about it..."

"You _never _forget coffee. Spill."

"I... I don't think there's anything to tell... it's not like it would be possible anyway because..."

"What?"

"I was sure he had found a way to make sure it would never happen again."

"What? Elphie you're not making sense."

She cut short her ramblings. "I think I could be pregnant." she blurted out.

Glinda paused, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "H...when did you last...?"

"My periods have never been regular but... never as late as this... Not even when..."

"So if you had to guess...?"

"I last saw one four months ago..."

"Elphie..."

"But... but it's impossible... because the last procedure went wrong and the doctor did something down there and..." she cut herself off before she could panic. "I... I can't be. A-any day now, it's gonna come, and all this worrying will be for nothing. And those weeks of being sick was just stress-related just like I explained to Fiyero when he asked."

"Elphie."

Wide, scared dark eyes turned to look at her best friend. "Why... why are you being nice to me?"

"Because you're my best friend. Because I love you. Because despite everything you've been through, you deserve every chance of happiness."

"But I took Fiyero from you..."

"He was never mine to keep, Elphie... he was always yours... and I'm okay with that."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. And if I get sad, one day I'll learn not to be."

Elphaba sighed and shook her head, wringing the blankets between her fingers.

"What are you afraid of?"

"That it's real... and he's right..."

"Elphie... look at me." she paused. "You will make the most amazifying mother in all of Oz. You cared for your sister when you were a kid yourself-"

"I had my brother's help when my father wasn't around."

"You still did it. You took care of me when I came down with the flu."

Elphaba scoffed. "You'd been out in the rain without a coat! It was your own fault. And just _who _exactly were you with? Because Fiyero and I were in the library that day!"

"I... well..." Glinda broke off, giggling.

"Glinda Arduenna Upland!"

"What?! Fifi was moodified and distant so... I had fun elsewhere. How was I to know he'd leave me high and dry and caught out in the rain?!"

"Who was it?"

"I don't remember now... one of Avaric's friends maybe."

"Oh, well that explains it! Avaric, you dumb blonde!"

The friends glared at each other for a second and then collapsed into giggles.

"Oh, Elphie... I'm going to miss you."

"I know... I'll miss you too."

"You'll keep me updated, won't you? About...?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah... I'll tell you everything when I can..." She took a sharp intake of breath and shook her head. "Don't do that, I don't need or want pity, Glin. He doesn't deserve the satisfaction!"

"He tried to keep you isolated from the people you love and who love you. Even when you found us again he still tried to pull us all apart."

"And now he's dead. Good riddance to him."

Glinda smiled a little and hugged her friend. "I'll clear your name one day..."

"Glinda, you can't... I can't go back there. There are too many painful memories there, I just..."

"Okay... alright, okay I won't say anything..." she whispered. "I'll leave you to get dressed and I should go."

She nodded and watched Glinda leave her alone.

Later that afternoon, Elphaba waved her best friend off again and Ambram left once he had made his final finishing touches on a room before he left them for the weekend.

Fiyero eventually found Elphaba in the library curled up with a book. "Are you done avoiding me?"

She jumped and closed the book quickly, hiding its title from him. "I wasn't... avoiding you..." she shook her head when he made a face at her. "I wasn't!"

"Hmm." He shrugged and sat beside her. "So, what are you reading?"

"Nothing important... I was just bored."

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her when she leaned against him.

"Yero... I need to tell you something," she spoke after a long silence.

"About last night?" she shook her head. "Then what?" he looked at her when she sat upright to face him and he gently touched her face.

"I... I have a feeling that I might be pregnant..."

"Wh-what...?" he blinked rapidly, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, not wanting to get his hopes up. "Are... are you serious? How sure?"

"Not entirely... I had it when we... in the forest and I haven't bled since."

"That was four months ago, Fae."

"I know, I know..." she sighed heavily. "I... It's also not the only time we've slept together..."

"We should get seen by a doctor," He told her.

"Yero, I don't think that's wise. What if-"

"Nobody here will out you to the Wizard, Fae. The Arjiki's hold no loyalty to him." he reminded her. "Don't you think my brother would have already?"

She sighed and looked down at her fingers in her lap.

"You can't go through another five months without knowing."

"Then it would be real..."

"What in Oz are you talking about?"

She shrugged. "If we go... and the doctor confirms it, that means it's going to be real, that there really is a small person growing in there, and I have to be someone's mother..." she looked up at him nervously, cringing when she saw the hope in his eyes. "What if I'm not good enough? Or... or it turns out green? Or-" her rambling was cut short again, this time by a kiss.

"Fae... My Fae, look at me." he caressed her cheek. "My beautiful girl... Our child is gonna be the luckiest kid in the world, because with you for a mother they are gonna know just how loved they are. You're gonna love and protect them with everything you have because that's what you do, that is who you are." he told her, and kissed her firmly when he saw the doubt in her face. "I mean everything I just told you, and more. And if our baby turns out green, so be it. It'll be just another-"

"Fiyero, my parents couldn't even bear to look at me when I was born. What...?"

"You couldn't reject that child even if you'd wanted to. And I'm not going anywhere. Because if that child does come out green, I'm still gonna love them just as much as I love you."

_It... he hasn't referred to the baby as 'it' once... _she thought, and a small smile crept to her lips and she started to cry, crushed under the weight of her emotions and the overwhelming feeling of being loved and safe and protected.

He laughed quietly at the absurdity of it all and hugged her tightly to him. "Fae, you're going to make the most amazing mother."

"And you... you're going to be a great father." she smiled tearfully.

He grinned and kissed away the tears. "I'll ask my brother to make the appointment after the weekend,"

"Okay..."

"Does Glinda know? Is that why she-"

"No... No, I only told her this morning. She figured something because I forgot my coffee this morning."

He nodded and thought back. "Hey... you've done that a few times recently."

She shrugged. "At first the smell of it made me sick, and I didn't get why then with everything going on I guess I just forgot to mention it."

"It's alright, Fae. We can deal with things now. You know, if it wasn't for my brother, my sisters wouldn't believe you exist." he smirked. "They want to meet you, only when you're ready."

She nodded. "But first, there's something I need to do." She looked up at him.

"What's that?"

She smiled and she kissed him. "I need to make good on my promise about not leaving the bed for a few days."

He laughed and stood up, picking her up in his arms. "If it's what the lady wants." He all but ran with her back to the bedroom, her laughter echoing down the halls.


	5. Chapter five

That weekend, Fiyero made sure that Elphaba had barely moved from their bedroom, something the green-skinned woman was all too happy to go along with.

Whenever she wasn't sleeping, she was eating whatever he brought up to her, or laying in the bed with him and they talked about everything and nothing at the same time, and she was able to skillfully avoid talking about what she had been through over the years she had been away.

"Are you sure you two didn't elope? Because-"

"I swear by Lurline if you give him ideas I will turn you into an inanimate object." Elphaba threatened with a smirk once they saw his brother in the hallway.

Ambram grinned widely like a child. "I like this woman. Please say we can keep her."

Fiyero smirked and shrugged. "Gotta be the only woman who isn't blood-related that you _do _like."

The elder Tiggular waved his hand. "I'm sure grandmother will be pleased."

"Anyway, my dear brother, I have a favour to ask of you. I need you to see if you can get an appointment with our family doctor."

"Why? You're not sick, are you?"

"We're..." he shared a look with Elphaba. "We're not _exactly _sure."

"Wait a minute... Are you saying...?"

"I don't know yet. That's why..." Elphaba answered, chewing her bottom lip. "But can I ask that you don't say anything? Please, it's just until we know and..."

"Your secret is safe. For now." Ambram grinned again and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground slightly. "I'll send a letter now. And what do we have left to sort out, little brother?

She laughed when she was put down and rolled her eyes, leaving them both to it and she headed to the library.

" I dunno... whichever needs doing the most. No, we're not doing anything for a baby just yet. Let's just... get the appointment out of the way first."

Ambram nodded and slapped his shoulder good-naturedly. "You don't waste time, do you, baby brother," he smirked. "You've been back in this woman's life for... four months? And you were with Glinda for four years?"

"Three and a half. But what's your point?"

"You didn't extend the bloodline with her."

Fiyero shrugged. "Glinda and I were always careful. With Fae it was... we just... we didn't plan it."

He gave his brother a look and shook his head.

"What? It's not like it matters to the crown is it? The likelihood of it passing to me right now is very slim."

Ambram scoffed. "You honestly think they'll be on board with a King who refuses to marry or carry on his bloodline?"

"I thought our parents got rid of that outdated rule when you came out. That was the sole reason for them doing it."

"They may have gotten rid of it, they can't change people's minds, the rest of Oz may have moved forward, and as much as I love this place, it's still pretty backwards. We both know Riya won't take it."

Fiyero groaned and shook his head. "Well either or both of our beloved parents better not kick the box for a long time yet!"

Ambram laughed at him. "Come on, let's get the ballroom looking fancy again."

A few days later, Elphaba and Fiyero were sat in the waiting room of a Gillikin hospital, waiting to see their doctor.

"You'll be in safe hands, I promise." Fiyero held her hand gently. "Her family have been treating mine for years, and she took over from her father around the time we started at Shiz."

"So... This is where she works usually?"

He nodded. "Are you okay now?"

She shrugged. "Just... nervous." She looked up when her name was called.

"It's okay, I'm here." he smiled and stood up with her, keeping a firm grip on her hand and they were both lead through to the doctor's office. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's okay. Wait here? It's probably just gonna be a blood test..."

He nodded and let her go.

If the young woman was shocked, she hadn't shown it in front of Elphaba when she walked through the door, and she herself hadn't known what to expect. She certainly wasn't expecting the young-looking, ochre skinned woman looking up at her with violet coloured eyes.

"Ms Thropp?" A nod. "Take a seat. My name is Dr Ziva Vanhanen. Now, what can I help you with today?"

"I... well, I think it's beyond a possibility by now but I need to confirm if I'm pregnant or not..."

The doctor nodded. "Alright, I'll just ask you a few questions, and then I'll examine you and take a blood sample."

Elphaba nodded silently and answered the questions. She gave her age, her height and any family history that she knew of. She looked up nervously when asked to lie down in the examination chair. "Wh-why?"

"It's just a routine check, Ms Thropp."

Another nervous glance at the chair as a memory struck her. "Uh... D-do I have to?"

The young woman gave her a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

Elphaba rubbed her hands nervously on the skirt of her black dress, her panic rising and her breathing quickening, and she screwed her eyes shut.

She reached over and grabbed her hands in hers without a second thought, the odd skin tone hadn't come into it. All she saw was a young woman just a few years younger than herself who was absolutely terrified, for reasons only she knew. "If something is troubling you, you can tell me."

Elphaba had slowly calmed her breathing down once she felt the contact, and she cautiously opened her eyes, looking up at the woman opposite her.

"Miss Elphaba, being terrified at the prospect of becoming a mother for the first time is considered normal, but something tells me that this is something more, something bigger than that. I can help you."

Suddenly, the weight of what she had been through became too much for her to bear, and she couldn't believe that somebody was willing to listen to her. The words spilt out before she had a chance to think about it, or even stop herself. "I ran away from school four years ago, and I found myself on the streets for a year before I was taken in by a group of people... For almost three years after that, I was systematically beaten and raped by a man I was supposed to trust, and because of that he was able to get me pregnant twice, and both of those times I was forced into a termination. The second one was messed up because the doctor who performed it did something wrong and now I'm not sure what he did."

_By Kumbricia what in Oz...? How...?_ Ziva was speechless for a moment, trying to process what Elphaba had told her and then she sighed sympathetically. "Miss Thropp, if you're worried about any damage I can take a look at that now for you. But I can promise you now, nobody is going to force you into anything, not anymore. You're safe, and you're away from that man now. I'm assuming that the young man out there waiting for you isn't the one responsible for those horrendible things."

"Oh, Oz, no!" She shook her head. "Fiyero is... He's sweet, he's kind, he's gentle and he would never hurt anyone. He saved me."

Ziva smiled as the fear melted away, giving way to the love she felt for the prince on the other side of the door. "Well, then it looks like you have nothing to worry about. Come on, the quicker I get this examination done the quicker you can get out of here."

The young witch nodded and allowed her to take her to the examination chair and she lay down on it.

"Remember, if you need to stop this at any point, just say the word. Alright?" She waited for the nod before gently pressing on the tiny swell of her stomach.

Elphaba watched her warily, seeing her use a funnel-like device she'd never seen before, didn't know what it was used for. She froze, her heart jumping to her throat when the other woman checked lower down.

"Miss Thropp?" Ziva called to her. "Miss Thropp, do you need a moment?"

She shook her head, unable to speak and she blinked away her tears.

Ziva paused anyway, not wanting to cause her further distress, she waited until Elphaba had found her voice again and told her she was fine. "It looks like..." she paused and then moved away from the woman. "There is some considerable scarring and damage there, it means you won't be able to deliver a baby safely that way, or you'll lose too much blood._"_

Elphaba visibly winced and she bit her lip as she sat up and righted herself. "So... what does that mean?"

"You'll still be able to have a safe and active sex life, it just means any children you have, will have to be done at a hospital where they will perform an operation to deliver safely."

Once the blood sample had been taken, Elphaba left feeling more nervous than when she'd first walked in.

"Fae?" Fiyero jumped up from his seat and rushed to her side. "What's wrong?" He held her close.

"Everything is fine with... We find out in a week... But I need to talk to you about something else."

"What is it?"

She shook her head. "Not here..."

He kissed her forehead and nodded. "Alright. Come, let's go home."

She remained silent for the whole journey back home. Once back at Kiamo Ko, he took her to her safe place; the library, and he waited silently for her to open up to him.

She picked up a book from a shelf without even looking at its title and she fidgeted until she forced herself to look at him. "Yero... I haven't been _entirely _honest with you about the whole... Lysander thing..."

He nodded slightly, having guessed as much. "Okay." he walked to her, holding her arms gently. "Whatever it is you can tell me."

"You... y-you asked me once... if it had been the first time he hit me..." she swallowed a lump in her throat and she clutched the book tighter to stop her hands from shaking. "I... I lied to you that day... for... for three years he had been doing that and m-more..." she looked away then, concentrating on her nails so she didn't have to look into his shocked face.

"Fae... why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew how you'd react... I remembered that boy who once defended me against Avaric and his stupid friends... that same boy who was so gentle with Glinda when she was upset... Yero if you said anything to him he would have most likely thrown us out, and we needed somewhere to stay until we could sort this place."

He almost hated to ask the next question, but he knew he had to. "What else did he do to you?"

"I was... when they took me in, I was so grateful... I would have done anything to repay them..." she paused. "Seems stupid now... but that's why I... started a relationship with him... I felt like I had to... Six months into it... he..." she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, her voice shaky when she continued. "He... uhm..."

Fiyero held her tighter, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. No... no, not his Elphaba... she was not about to tell him what he thought she was going to tell him. "Fae, no..."

"You're already ahead of me..."

His heart broke in two and he gently held her face, making her look up at him, both of them had tears in their eyes. "No... not you."

She nodded. "He... he kept doing it for months... th-the last time was... seven months before you found me and another time after that... and that was only because I kept making excuses not to be there... But he never stopped hitting me..."

He hugged her tightly then, and they both cried together. Suddenly, her initial refusal made sense, the tremor in her voice... her reluctance to open up to him when he first asked.

"I... I'm sorry..."

"Don't you dare..." he told her gently. "Don't you _dare _apologize for any of this." he peppered her neck with soft kisses, working his way along her jawline, cheeks, nose, forehead and finally her mouth. With every feather-light kiss that he planted, he whispered his love for her. He wiped away her tears. "You're my beautiful, strong Elphaba... who has been through so much more than she should have done, and you have come out of this mess and still kept that big kind heart of yours. A bit battered and bruised, a bit bent out of shape. But still there. And I love you and admire you so much."

"You... you saved me more than you realised..." she told him, her heart breaking even more at the sight of his tears. "I love you so much." she took another deep breath. "He attacked me again a few weeks ago... and I wanted to face him that night... the night of the fire."

"When?"

"After the first 'ambush'..."

He growled quietly and shook his head. "That sick, twisted..." Her nightmares made total sense now.

"I know... I know my love... That... that's why I had to be there, I had to know he wasn't going to escape... that he wasn't going to come after me."

He felt completely sick to his stomach as he listened to her, he held her and comforted her the whole time.

"Over the course of the three years, he had impregnated me twice and he forced me to get rid of it both times..."

He didn't know what to say to that. He held her close and stated silent until a thought struck him.

"Glinda... does she know any of this? Was that what she meant?"

She shrugged. "I mean, she overheard something when she followed me... but I haven't told her everything."

"She overheard you confront him." she nodded at that. "She was gonna say _rapist_ wasn't she?" he cringed when she flinched at it. "Fae... my beautiful girl... my love, you're safe now, and nobody is gonna hurt you now," he promised.

She nodded and cuddled closer to him. She so desperately wanted to believe him.

Neither of them ate much for the rest of the evening, they fell into bed together, crying and comforting one another until they fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms.


	6. Chapter six

Over the past week, Elphaba's nightmares had become more frequent and heartbreaking for Fiyero to witness, now that he had an idea of what would be plaguing her. He cursed the dead man to hell and back, silently screaming every imaginative name and swear word he could think of as he held the hysterical girl close to his chest as they lay in the bed together. The first time he had seen her scars, he almost broke down, he had kissed every single one of them and had understood when she felt like she couldn't explain them to him.

"What was it this time?" As if he even needed to ask. It was virtually the same every morning.

Elphaba sniffled and clung to him tightly, the initial terror long gone. "He... this time he got to both of you..." she shook her head.

He raised an eyebrow. That was a change. "Well, if that bastard ever finds a way to come back from the dead, I'll end him myself before he comes anywhere near you or any children we have, and he won't get the chance to do anything to me." He lifted her head and lightly kissed her. "Miss Fae, your brain is getting far too imaginative for my liking, and yours for that matter." he wiped her eyes again.

"I know, I'm being ridiculous..."

"Don't do that. Don't invalidate your feelings like that. Fae, my beautiful girl, you went through a horrific time, you were subjected to things you should never have been exposed to."

She shook her head. "How are you so calm...? Even after what _you _went through, I don't think I've seen it affect you..."

_I'm better at hiding it. _he scoffed inwardly. "Your friends help me process a few things." he chose to say. There must have been something in his face which caused her to disbelieve him. Or maybe she was always able to see through him with just a simple look. "I haven't... fully processed it yet." he reluctantly admitted.

She bit her lip. "Fiyero, you have to."

"Let's just concentrate on you for now. I can deal with whatever they threw at me, and I'd do it again if I had to." _I'm not going to break while you need me. _he thought. "When is your appointment?"

"Three-thirty..."

He slowly sat up and pulled her up with him.

"What are you doing?"

"We have spent far too long crying and getting upset and letting him win." he kissed her nose. "I'm going to draw you a bath, and then we're going to have a late lunch, and then we're going to confirm what you've known for the past couple of weeks."

"You seem so sure that I am..."

"And so do you. Well... that mind of yours does anyway if these dreams are anything to go by." he smiled. "Who knows, maybe my brother will come out of hiding to come and see you."

"Oz... I really freaked him out, didn't I...?"

He chuckled quietly and shrugged. "He's a big boy, he'll get over it."

"He shouldn't have snuck up on me like that." she couldn't help but laugh.

"I tried to tell him." he looked at her before laughing again. "Alright, no, I didn't. I just wanted to see his reaction coming face to face with an actual witch. A witch with anger issues. Ouch!" she had elbowed him. "A witch with anger issues and very pointy elbows." He complained and jumped up before she could react and he left the room with a grin.

As soon as he was out of sight, her smile dropped and she sighed, her hand coming to rest on her stomach as if willing the life she knew was inside to make itself known. There was no doubt in her mind now, she knew even without the blood test. She knew she was pregnant. She was only too thankful that the father of her baby was in the next room and not strung up and left to die. "You're gonna come into this world with a bang. I just know it."

Fiyero stayed in the doorway a little longer, watching her finally accept it and he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes and he crossed the hallway to the bathroom. Of course, he was thankful to the alchemist who didn't ask questions when his brother brought him the sleeping potions, given Elphaba's current mental state, it wasn't fair to have her deal with his nightmares too. It wasn't a good idea for him to break too, and he shuddered every time he closed his eyes and saw his men, people he had considered friends, he felt every hit, every jab with a knife, a bone breaking upon the impact of the butt of a gun. And yet, he didn't break, not once.

He gripped the edge of the sink, trying to calm his breathing. No! No, he would not sink into a state of panic now. Fae still needed him. Sweet, kind, sarcastic, wonderful Fae, who had done nothing to deserve the persecution she had suffered over the years. He forced himself to remember the advice his brother had given him, tricks to deter panic attacks, and he took a deep breath and slowly counted down from ten. After about a minute he felt his heart rate slow down and the bad thoughts fade away. For now at least. He turned to prepare the bath for Elphaba. He knew he had to talk to her at some point, but right now, Ambram seemed good enough to listen and to help him. As much as he loved and adored her, he knew her guilt over the situation would not help matters, and the last thing they needed was two very broken people very much in love with each other at war with each other.

Suddenly he heard a shrill, high-pitched voice shouting his name. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought it was Glinda, but he already knew it was one of his sisters. Mariyan knew exactly how to irritate her little brother, and often took great pleasure in doing so. He groaned and left the bathroom, passing Elphaba as she left the bedroom wondering what the noise was. "I'll be back up in a few minutes," he'd told her. "It's just one of my sisters. If I'm not, your bath will be ready in ten minutes."

"Just as obnoxious as you, then," she smirked.

"Quiet, woman."

"Make me."

"When I've got rid of her," he smirked and then made his way to where his sister was still shouting for him. "Oz, Riya, if your voice gets any higher we'll have a pack of wolves running around the place! What do you want?"

The woman in question turned to face her brother with a grin, bright yellow skirts swishing around her legs as she moved. "Well hello to you too." she rolled her light blue eyes at him, taking in his appearance. "Old habits of sleeping in late difficult to break?"

He paused and then shrugged. "Something like that. Was there something you needed?"

Mariyan gave him a look and shook her head. "You asked me to track someone down?"

Another pause. "Oh! I forgot about that." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Did you find him?"

"It wasn't easy, he's a difficult man to find." She told him, handing him a piece of paper. "But yes, Shell Thropp has been found in the southernmost part of Quadling Country where he works in the ruby mines. He was last seen in the Greater Kells before that about two years ago. He has changed his last name from Thropp to Tighearnán. Why did you want to track him down?"

"For Elphaba. He's her brother and they haven't seen each other in years."

She smiled softly and nodded. "How is she doing? And when do we get to see her?"

"She's just... surviving for now." he shrugged. "And when she feels up to it. Ambram told you she'd been through a lot?"

She nodded.

"It's... she needs to process a few things. There are things that she's been through that no one should have to be put through."

"And what about you? We'd heard about you putting your life on the line for her."

He shrugged again. "He's helping me. I'll talk to her when I decide to."

She sighed and hit him across the back of the head. "That's from mum for being a brainless idiot."

"Fine, I guess I deserved it. But I'd do it all again if I had to." he pouted, rubbing his head.

"Don't tell our parents that, you may just send them into early graves," she smirked and they both laughed. "Oh, before I forget," she reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. "I was able to get this. Ambram told me everything, how serious you are about her, so I thought it was only right."

_Well, they're gonna need to know when I'll make it all legitimate eventually. _he thought, and stopped himself from saying it outright. "Thanks." he smiled.

"How is it that he gets to meet her and we don't?"

"Because he can keep a secret." he gave her a look. "Come on! _Glinda _is better at it than you! And she can't even keep a surprise party a secret!"

"First of all, rude. Second of all, alright you have a point."

He laughed again and hugged her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. We all did. You know you don't have to stay in this rotting old place."

"I know, but we want to. It looks better now than it did before."

"That's only because if our dear brother wasn't to be king, his job would be in interior design."

"Yeah... good point."

"Are you sure you're okay here?"

He nodded. "Doesn't seem so bad now I'm a grown-up." he grinned and shrugged. "It's close enough to home and we can still have our privacy, and it's close enough for Glinda whenever Elphaba needs her."

"At least she gets to keep her friend. One good thing has come out of the whole thing."

"It's okay. You can call it a trainwreck. Because it is."

She laughed and nodded. "You're right. Anyway, what's your plan today?"

"I was gonna prepare a late lunch and then we have to do something else."

Mariyan smiled. "Let me do it. It will give me a chance to see the woman who changed my baby brother."

"Fae doesn't do well around strangers... Are you sure?"

"Fiyero, I won't be a stranger for long will I? And you don't want to overwhelm her with the whole family at once do you."

"I guess so..." he sighed.

"If it helps, I won't stay for long. Okay? If she doesn't feel comfortable, I'll go back home. And yes, our brother did confirm she has green skin and no, I won't mention it."

"Fine. Fine, but only because you won't give up."

She grinned. "You do realise that mum would already be up those stairs making sure she's being looked after and that this place will not fall down around your heads before you can give her grandchildren, don't you?"

_She wouldn't have to wait long. _He cringed. "Oz, I know. But I would love to see her face if she asks Fae when it would happen. She'd have a few choice words and none of them polite." he smirked.

"I've already had that conversation with her. I've told her it'll happen when it does. Ambram won't get that for obvious reasons, so you're next."

He groaned. "Well, I'm not going to put that pressure on her."

She rolled her eyes. "Go back up there to her. I'm sure there's something in that rusting old kitchen I can make without burning it to the ground."

He laughed and nodded. "I haven't even had the conversation about getting household staff in here to help out. Elphaba isn't used to that."

"Isn't used to it?! She was the daughter of a governor for the love of Lurline."

"And she wasn't treated like it."

"What...? Oh." she shook her head and walked to the kitchens.

Fiyero rolled his eyes again and walked back up the stairs. "Fae?"

"Still in the bathroom."

He peered around the door with a smile, seeing her surrounded by bubbles in the bathtub, a contented look on her face.

"What was it your sister wanted?"

"To annoy the living hell out of me like normal."

She laughed at that. "You know you wouldn't be without her."

He shook his head. "No... I wouldn't." he acknowledged. "She wants to prepare lunch for us and to meet you. Will you be alright with that?"

She went quiet for a moment, thinking over her answer. "I think that will be okay," she said finally. "Does she know...?"

"She knows about your skin but she doesn't know about the appointment today. My brother, for all of his faults, can keep his mouth shut when he needs to."

She smiled. "We need to find him a boyfriend. He's spending far too much time here."

"Glinda? Is that you?" He laughed when she flicked water and bubbles at him. "Are you bored of him already?"

"Shut up, you know what I meant." she giggled.

He grinned. "You make a good point, but you'd need to find someone who could put up with his dramatics. If you think I'm bad you should see him."

"Yero, I'm sure if I can put up with you, then we will find someone for him."

"Trust me, I doubt you'll find a man patient enough," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes at him and then pointed to the towel on the door, which he handed over and helped her out of the bath. She softened as the pained look in his eyes returned. "Don't think about them, Yero... Don't even look at them."

"Fae, he did this to you. It may not have just been him but he still had a hand in it."

"And now he'll never hurt anyone again. I have no regrets about ending him, it was the only thing I _did _have control over."

"You're still beautiful."

She scoffed at him.

"You are," he told her, lifting her head slightly and kissed her. "You are."

"Maybe one day I'll believe that."

"I hope so."

After she was dried and dressed into one of the only loose-fitting dresses she could find in the closet, which to her disappointment was a light shade of blue that Glinda would be proud of, she braided her hair to keep it out of the way, she would have pinned it to the back of her head as if she were putting on her hat, but Fiyero had stopped her.

"It's sad enough you have to tie it back." he had told her.

"And why is that?"

"Because your hair is one of my favourite things about you. Always has been."

She rolled her eyes at that and walked with him down to the dining room for food and to see his sister.

"Fae, this is my sister, Mariyan, but we always call her Riya."

Mariyan grinned as she looked up, hearing movement across the room and her brother's voice. She walked forward and stopped a respectable distance away, leaving Elphaba the choice to approach her or take her seat. "Miss Elphaba, how wonderful it is to finally meet you." She couldn't help but curiously look the woman over.

Elphaba smiled nervously and found it difficult to complain about the blatant inspection. "It's good to meet you too, Mariyan," she answered.

"Well, I can see why my brother never shut up about you in his letters home," Mariyan grinned, a pointed look over at him, and Elphaba looked around at him.

He shrugged. "Everything I said was true."

"What did you say?"

"That you were smart, very opinionated, spiky and beautiful. And quite possibly the biggest heart of anyone I know."

She rolled her eyes and looked back at his sister. "Well, he's right... On everything but-"

"Don't even think about it." He put his hand over her mouth to silence her with a smirk. "You, dear Fae, are going to sit down and eat. And we're not going to talk negatively today. Are we."

His sister watched with a smirk of her own. "Want me to slap him for you?"

Elphaba removed his hand and shook her head. "No, I'll get him later." she laughed. "If you turn into a patronising, hovering mess, I will leave you."

He huffed and dropped down into a chair. "Protective, not patronising."

"Patronising is the right word, my dear Yero." She smirked, rolling her eyes when he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "I thought you told her that the green _wasn't _contagious."

Mariyan looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, I... I wasn't trying to-"

He laughed and shook his head. "Don't panic. She's just being her delightful sarcastic self," he smirked and Elphaba nodded.

"It's nice that you're not overcrowding me, but you don't need to make it look like you're avoiding me." she smiled.

"Really? Because our mother won't hesitate to hug you on the spot." Mariyan smiled back and hugged the girl anyway and they both sat to eat. "The rest of the family are glad to have him back home, and they'd love to meet you, but it's okay if you want to take that slowly. It can't have been easy not being able to feel safe anywhere and always looking over your shoulder..."

Elphaba shrugged. "It wasn't," she admitted, but only Fiyero knew that there was more to it, and he kept his mouth shut. "I'm not used to a big family, either."

"You're a... Munchkinlander?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately. I was never able to get rid of the accent." she smiled a little. "Growing up, I had a brother and a younger sister. But... she died recently. And my brother hasn't been seen or heard from in years."

"Oz, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be." Elphaba shrugged. "She changed far too much and not for the better. Nothing I ever did was good enough."

"Well, she certainly made her feelings known after you left," Fiyero spoke in disapproval.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she blamed me for the entire thing, Yero. She didn't pull any punches when she told me I was the cause of my father's death. Died of shame, indeed." she scoffed.

He nodded, confirming her suspicions. "Glinda and I tried to make her see reason, but she was too angry. Eventually, she turned it on Boq and by the time we realised it, it was too late and suddenly we were graduating. I think I saw him once after we left Shiz."

"And even that was only because he went to Munchkinland to find you or to get an idea of where you might be. Even the best trackers in the Vinkus couldn't find you."

"I didn't want to be found. By associating with me, it would have consequences, and none of them good. I couldn't put the people I loved in that kind of danger."

"The main thing is that you're safe now, and no one is in any danger." he smiled.

_At what cost? _she thought and sighed. "I guess so." _And if anyone outside of this part of Oz finds out about this baby then it will have been for nothing..._

"Ms Thropp. Stay out of your head."

"Is that an order?" she smirked.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

"Look me in the eye and tell me."

"No thank you."

"Coward."

"I love you too, Fae."

Mariyan shook her head in amusement at them and she smiled. After they had all eaten, she cleared the plates, said her goodbyes and left.

"She seems nice," Elphaba spoke after a while.

He nodded, smiling. "She means well most of the time."

The carriage ride to the hospital passed in nervous silence, and now Elphaba fidgeted and picked at her nails as they sat in the waiting room.

Fiyero gently put his hand over hers to stop her and he smiled when she looked up at him with wide, scared eyes. "No matter what happens today, it will be okay," he told her. "_We _will be okay."

She nodded numbly and looked at the floor.

"I'm scared too," he admitted. "Oz, I'm absolutely terrified."

She giggled quietly at that and sighed. "This is where it becomes real, isn't it."

He nodded. "But we'll get through this together."

"What if I get it wrong?"

"Fae, we have no idea what we're doing. We're bound to get things wrong along the way." he sighed. "And that's alright."

"Ms Thropp?"

They looked up at the voice. "Come with me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course." He kissed her gently and stood up with her and they both walked to the doctor's office.

Ziva Vanhanen smiled upon seeing them enter. "It's good to see you again, Elphaba. Did you work through your anxieties from last week?"

She smiled a little and nodded. "With a bit of help..." she admitted with a look at Fiyero.

He smiled and put his arm around her.

The doctor nodded. "That's good. It's progress."

"Do you have the results?" Fiyero had asked once he realised that Elphaba still felt too nervous to talk.

She gave a knowing look to the silent green woman and she nodded again. "I do, and congratulations are in order."

"You... y-you mean I...?" Elphaba had already known the result, it still didn't help her shock, however.

She couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Yes. We would estimate around fifteen weeks, going by our last conversation. You are a little on the small side, but that shouldn't be anything to worry about."

"I... I've always been thin."

"Not this much though, Fae." he pointed out with a thoughtful look on his face, and suddenly Elphaba couldn't wait for the shock to wear off for him.

"Nevertheless, I'd like to have regular appointments with you. Just to be sure that everything is as it should be. I've no doubt with some rest and recuperation things should get back on track quickly. At your next appointment, I should be able to estimate a due date for you both and you'll need to be booked into the hospital a week before it."

Fiyero paused again, trying to process the information.

"But how could I have gone so long without realising...?"

"It happens. First-time mothers don't always know the symptoms, a missed period when you're not regular is easy to overlook. The first flutterings could be mistaken for stress or anxiety if you're in that situation."

She nodded and took the piece of paper with her results on and she and Fiyero left the hospital and waited for their carriage.

"Did that..." he shook his head. "Was that real?"

She held in a laugh while she waited for his brain to catch up with them.

"Fae... Did she say we... that you were...?"

"I dunno. Did she?" she smirked.

"Don't play with me, Fae!" he pouted.

She laughed and her heart melted at the hope and wonderment in his face.

He shook his head several times and looked at her again. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

Their laughter rang into the air as he gathered her up and spun her around a couple of times before setting her back on the ground, and his hands came to rest on her stomach. How had he not noticed the small curve before? Did she even realise it was there?

"Are you happy?"

"What?_ Of course,_ I am." He kissed her. "Fae... this is just... I'm still trying to get my head around it."

She smiled, keeping her arms around him. She could allow him that, after all, she had a week to process the information, He had had all of ten minutes. They both got into the carriage as it turned up and they headed back to Kiamo Ko. "I think I want Glinda to be the next to know..."

He nodded. "And then we can _slowly _introduce you to the rest of my family." he grinned.

"I think that would be good. As long as I don't get overcrowded, I think I'll be okay." she smiled. "Don't even think about treating me like I'm made of glass, either."

"I've no idea what you're talking about." he shrugged nonchalantly.

She raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk. "I mean it. If you start to hover-"

"Okay, okay fine." he laughed.

"I'm going to the library."

He nodded and kissed her, and watched her walk away. He sighed and rushed a hand through his hair. He suddenly felt very nervous and worried about her and the pregnancy. Keeping her safe was the biggest priority for him, what if he couldn't do it? What if the Wizard and Morrible realised she wasn't dead and they came looking for her and their baby? What if he mentally couldn't cope and his past trauma became too much for him to cope with? He shook his head and walked back outside, breathing deeply, trying to keep himself calm, he held himself upright on the wall.

"Fifi? Oz, what's wrong?" Glinda popped her bubble as she landed and rushed over to him. "Fiyero? Fiyero! Answer me! Oh..." she sighed and helped him to sit on the stone step.

He heard a woman's voice, but it was muffled and sounded too far away for him to recognise her, he only slowly started to come around when he was sat down and he blinked, looking up into the face of his former fiancee. "Glin...? What are you...?"

"I don't have time, I have to get back before someone notices me missing... but I have some good news. I couldn't write just in case it was interswiped."

_Interswiped? _"What...?" he paused, his sluggish brain still playing catch-up from an hour ago. "I don't understand."

"Oz, what's happened to you today?" Glinda put her hands on her hips, giving him a look.

"Nothing... what are you talking about?"

"The Wizard and Morrible. They're gone! Well, not _gone_... at least not Morrible, she's being locked up... but I told the Wizard to leave, and he left poor Dorothy stranded. She got home though. I made sure of it. And the little dog... Dodo, too. Anyway... I'd better go. Give my love to Elphie!" she conjured her bubble and drifted away again, leaving Fiyero more bemused and lost than he'd been before she came.


	7. Chapter seven

A/N: Happy Lurlinemas and a happy new year fellow Ozians!

Three weeks had passed, and Elphaba had slowly been integrated into his family, starting with the rest of his sisters, and the last to be introduced to her was his parents who had come to them the previous night.

Having not been used to a family fussing over her and worrying over her, she had become overwhelmed very quickly and had retreated to another room as soon as she had been able to, leaving Fiyero to explain everything, and still managing to keep their impending pregnancy a secret.

"Fae?" he called as he entered their bedroom. He grinned like a fool when he saw her, curled up in their bed, dressed in a deep turquoise coloured dress that his brother had found for her, her hair tied in a loose bun at the back of her neck to keep it out of her way.

"Mhm?" she hummed, not looking up from her book and she turned the page.

"I've got something to show you."

She paused then and looked up at him. "What is it?" She took the slip of paper handed to her, glancing at the address written before looking back at him. "And this is...?"

"Your brother's most recent address."

"Wh-...? I don't understand..."

"Riya tracked him down. We started in the Greater Kells."

"But this is the opposite side of Oz in Quadling Country..."

He nodded. "He moved and changed his name around the time the whole Wicked witches of the East and West started up. He was in support of you until Nessa decided to turn on the Munchkins. And then he distanced himself from the family name."

She cringed. "So he won't want to see me..."

"You don't know that unless you try."

"But if he didn't want people to know he was related-"

"For all you know he just didn't want to be associated with Nessa. Oz knows I wouldn't if she was _my _sister, no matter how responsible I'd have felt."

"I suppose. What is he doing all the way down there anyway? There's nothing there except swamps and mines."

"Why don't you ask him."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, I don't know, he could scream 'witch' and send us both packing to Southstairs!"

"Or he could be a really concerned brother and want to know everything. Besides, I'm not saying we should travel that far." _Not yet at least._

She rolled her eyes at him and went back to her book. "It's a wonderful suggestion, Yero, but we should probably wait until we have this child before I put myself into a situation where I could potentially be arrested on the spot."

He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Fae, it's just a letter. If he doesn't want to know then at least you tried."

"What time did Glinda say she would be here?"

"One-thirty." he reminded her, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the subject change.

She glanced at the clock beside her. "An hour. Okay." she nodded.

"Want me to come and get you when she's here?"

"Yes, please." she smiled when he kissed her and she watched him leave and then went back to her book. A short time later, she stopped reading once she felt the faintest flutter in her stomach and she put her hand there, waiting. One minute... two... She sighed with disappointment and shook her head. _Maybe I imagined it..._ she thought.

"Everything alright?"

She looked up to the voice, smiling a little when she saw Ambram in the doorway. "Yeah... I just thought... never mind." she shook her head again and closed her book, getting out of bed.

"It will happen in its own time, Miss Elphaba." he smiled and walked to her.

"I know." she nodded. "I guess I'm just impatient. I've never been good at waiting." she sighed and allowed him to draw her into a hug. "What are you doing up here anyway?"

"My brother said you were a little distracted."

"I'm...not distracted... I'm just... hiding."

"Why?"

"Your parents were a bit too... full on last night, and I wasn't really prepared for how they would be." she shrugged. "I'm sure your mother meant well, worrying about how skinny I am, but I just... I've never really _had _anybody worry about me before. I'm sure you've heard Fiyero curse my father every name under the sun before."

"I... wasn't aware that that was who he was talking about," he admitted.

She smiled a little and shrugged. "He used to do it a lot at school too. It irritated him that he would so openly favour Nessa and not even acknowledge my existence, even after I told him why."

"And why is that, Miss Elphaba?"

"For years I was made to believe I was the cause of my mother's death and for Nessa's disability. It wasn't until Shiz... until I became friends with Glinda, and later Fiyero, that I started to see that none of it was true. My mother chewed those milk flowers willingly, continued to do so even after she was warned by medical professionals not to, well into her second trimester. I was just a three-year-old girl, I held no power over a grown woman who couldn't keep her activities with her husband in her marital bed." Elphaba spoke bluntly. "I mean, aside from being greener than grass, I'm sure that's why my father hated me so much. It's highly likely that I was never _his _blood. Whomever I belong to, it wasn't Frexspar, and I'll never find that out because the only person who can tell me died giving birth to her third child."

"Won't your brother know?"

"I don't know... I don't know if he'll want to see me."

"You could always reach out to him. Do you have an address?"

"Yes, but-"

"So write to him. The worst he could do to you is ignore the letter, right? With a return address being from this place, if he knows his history, he would know you can't be touched here. And couple that with your relationship with Fiyero and the impending little heir..." he smirked.

She paused and raised an eyebrow at him. "Did he put you up to this?!"

He shook his head quickly. "Nope," he told her honestly. "All he said to me was you could do with cheering up. And you weren't listening to him."

She scowled at him for a moment longer before shaking her head.

He grinned. "Go on. You've still got some time before your friend arrives."

She groaned. "Alright, fine!"

He laughed and walked with her to the library.

"I don't need a babysitter. And if this is your dear brother's doing I know a spell-"

"I'm just bored. Fiyero has nothing to do with it." he rolled his eyes.

"You're always bored, and you're also a bad liar."

"I'm also not gonna go running to him when you lift something heavier than _a _book," he smirked.

She laughed at that. "Alright, fine. He got me in this situation, he does not get to act like I'm made of glass."

"He may have done, but I doubt you did much complaining, did you?"

"Shut up. Oz, you need a boyfriend..."

He laughed. "I'm happy with being free to do what I want, with who I want."

"It's obviously a family trait to be annoying." she sat at a table, grabbing the previously abandoned notepad and the pen and she paused before writing.

Ambram smiled and busied himself with a book and giving her the space to write the letter.

_How do I even start a letter like this?! _she thought. _Come on... I'm good with words... I can talk myself out of most things almost as good as I can talk myself into them..._ She sighed, eventually putting pen to paper and started to write. She didn't look up until she heard a female voice calling for her.

"_Elphie!_"

She rolled her eyes, smiling, looking at her sixth draft of a letter to her brother, almost completed. _Well, I guess this will have to do..._

"Elphie!"

Elphaba laughed quietly, finishing the last paragraph and she tore the pages out. She looked at Ambram. "Call me Elphie and I will not be responsible for my actions," she smirked. "The only reason _she _gets away with it is because she's small, blonde and cute. She's also my best friend." she walked out with him.

"I can see why my brother likes you. The vicious side is hot," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes and laughed again. "Well... he doesn't complain."

"Elph- oh, there you are!" Glinda gasped and ran over to her as quickly as her heels would allow. She barrelled into her and hugged her tightly.

Elphaba let out a soft '_oof!' _at the contact and hugged her back. "Lovely to see you too, Glinda."

"You seemed upset in your letter, I just had to come and see you. But you look fine you don't look sad."

"Glinda!" she cut through her friend's ramblings with a laugh. "Breathe." she smiled.

The blonde nodded and took a deep breath to calm down, then spotted the male with them. "Who is he?"

"I'm hurt, Ms Glinda. You don't remember me?" he teased.

She stopped and looked him up and down. She gasped. "Ambram!" she let her go and then hugged him. "Oz, I'm sorry! I've been so busy and distracted with the whole... Emerald City thing and now my best friend needed me and..." she paused again. "Wait... what's going on?"

Elphaba laughed again and linked her arm with Glinda's and walking away with her. "I just... missed you, that's all."

Ambram shook his head, grinning and he watched them go. He headed off to find his brother.

"Okay, so what exactly is going on in the city?" Elphaba asked as they walked outside into the woods.

"There's a lot of political upset that I wish you were there to make sense of it all so it would help me..."

"Why?"

Glinda looked at her. "Did Fiyero not tell you?" she asked and sighed. "Well... he did look a little unwell when I saw him..."

"When was this?"

"About three weeks ago? What? Why are you smiling like that?"

"Don't worry about it for now... tell me what he was supposed to have said to me."

"Morrible is locked up in prison and the Wizard left in his balloon."

"Do I even _want to know _how that came about?"

Glinda studied her for a moment. "Probably not. Anyway, because he's gone that means I now have to step up while a replacement is found and I have no idea what I'm doing."

"And what if your replacement is worse than he was?"

"They won't be! I'll make sure of it. Anyway, there are things I want to put right before that happens. I want to try and overturn the Animal Banns and reintegrate them back into society... I just... don't know how... And I want to try and clear your name too."

"Glinda, you can't. You can't make them turn on you too."

"But Elphie, they think you're dead. That you died in that horrendible fire."

"And so it should be. Glinda, things have changed now. Before all of this, I would have given anything for people to see me the way you do, or the way Fiyero does."

"What's changed? I can still do this."

"It's too fresh in their minds. That man has had twenty-three years to get people on his side. Twenty-three years of believing his lies, you won't be able to undo that. Besides, there's not just me to think about. There is Fiyero, his family, you."

"But... If we leave things this way, that means you can never leave these lands and... if you do, you have to be hidden."

"I was hiding for four years, Glin. What's a lifetime more?" She looked at her friend. "Besides, you'll still be able to come and see me. I hope. As far as I'm aware, this place is our home. Close enough for you if we need to see each other. And I know I'll be needing you soon."

"What does that mean? You're smiling weirdly again. Elphie, what are you not telling me?"

"I know why Fiyero looked sick three weeks ago."

"Why? You don't have it too, do you?"

Elphaba laughed and shook her head. "No... I have a different kind of sickness..."

"Elphie, stop talking in riddles! You know I can't think that much!"

"Fine! Spoil my fun!" the green witch pouted for a moment. "I had it confirmed three weeks ago. As of today, I am around eighteen weeks pregnant."

Glinda stopped fidgeting and stared at her for a moment with wide eyes. She then squealed happily and hugged her friend tight. "Oh, my! Elphie that's wonderful! So he wasn't sick, he was just in shock!" she giggled.

Elphaba nodded, grinning. "Yep. He was in that state for the rest of the day, and he's been wanting to tell everyone about it but I said I wanted you to know first. But you're the second person to know... Ambram wanted to know why he was quiet so we told him. I didn't want to tell you in a letter."

"So by pretending something was wrong, you knew I'd come to you as soon as I could?"

"In fairness, Fiyero wrote it, I don't actually know what he wrote."

Glinda huffed at that. "Well, when I get a hold of him-"

Elphaba smiled. "When I told him to write to you, I didn't mean freak you out."

"When is your next appointment?"

"In a couple of weeks... She wants to see me every few weeks because of how small I am... also I have to go into hospital for the birth."

"Why?"

"Because certain things happened to me that mean I can't deliver safely."

Glinda gasped, a horrified look on her face. "Elphie, what exactly _happened _to you out there?!"

"Too many things... And I'm still trying to process it all and I still wake up in a screaming fit."

Glinda sighed and hugged her again. "Elphie..."

"Don't. I'm okay now, I'm safe."

"Fine..."

Elphaba smiled a little bit and they both headed back inside. _It would take longer than four months to get over the shit I went through... _she thought tiredly. Both women headed to the kitchen after deciding they were both hungry.

"Ooh! You have cake in here!" Glinda squealed as she looked in the fridge.

"Yeah, Fiyero is sort of... hinting at getting help in this place, so I've let him look at getting a cook." she shrugged. "The last one we had yesterday was quite possibly one of my favourites because the cakes he made were so good."

"It makes sense... you _are _living in a castle. As good as you are with cleaning and cooking there's no way you'd be able to maintain it all by yourself."

"The irritating thing about that is I know you're both right." Elphaba groaned. "Just... shut up and bring me the cake." she pouted.

Glinda giggled and obeyed her friend, taking out the plate filled with various leftover cakes from the day before and they both sat down, picking at the food and talking, giggling together.

Once the cake was eaten, the two walked through the castle once more, huddled together in a whispered conversation.

"What are you two conspiring about now?" Fiyero smirked lightly when he saw them.

"Nothing for you to worry about." Elphaba smiled, shaking her head slightly when Glinda let her go to crush him in a hug and squealed her happiness and congratulations in his ears. "Just girl stuff."

Glinda nodded when she let go and linked her arm with Elphaba's again. "I know Elphie won't actually need one but I've decided I'm going to be her birthing partner. Of course, I'm going to be godmother to this one and any other babies you have."

"Are you now?" His voice had an amused edge to it as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes! I'm her best friend... well... her _only _friend!"

Elphaba opened her mouth to argue, paused and closed it again. "Fair point..." she conceded.

He laughed and shrugged. "The only reason that is is that you don't like people."

"Exactly... With the exception of you two. And she doesn't count because she got lumped with me and it was a case of get along or we kill each other." she smirked. "And you... I don't know what the hell happened. And don't say a spell."

"Fine," he smirked. "But it's true."

She rolled her eyes. "Again, you're not funny."

"I think I am."

Glinda smiled, watching the back and forth between them and she shook her head. "I guess falling in love is sort of like a spell."

"See, Glinda gets it!"

"Do you have to encourage him? You realise I have to live with this." Elphaba groaned and walked away from them.

He rolled his eyes at her with a grin and they both followed her. "Come on, Fae, you should know by now that I don't need encouragement to tell the world that I love you."

"Oz, I wish you wouldn't," she smirked.

He grabbed her by the hand and spun her around to face him, making her laugh and he kissed her. "I love you."

She ducked her head, blushing. "I love you too."

A week later, Elphaba was stood at the top of the western tower, gazing out the window in the direction of the city she once called home. She shivered and pulled her black cloak tighter around herself.

"You will freeze to death up here." Riya scolded gently with a smile, a blanket in her hands. She approached the young woman and draped it around her shoulders.

Elphaba smiled gratefully, having realised too late that her magic didn't want to work for her, and was unable to perform a heating spell on her old cloak to keep her warm.

"Looks like we could get snow soon. Just in time for Lurlinemas too."

"Yeah." she nodded.

Riya cocked her head to the side. "Penny for your thoughts, Miss Elphaba?"

"Something is blocking my magic... it's like... it's like there's a barrier there, and it wants to show me something first but I don't know what it is." she told her after a silent moment. "I thought being up here would be helpful to..." she trailed off, discreetly pressing a palm flat against her stomach, this time, feeling the first flutterings from within. Before she could stop herself, a smile broke out on her lips.

"What is it? A happy memory?"

"Something like that..." she nodded.

"Would you like me to leave you be?"

"Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Riya smiled softly, knowing there was something she wasn't being told, but she wouldn't pry. She left the tower quietly, locating her brothers in the library.

"Show me that again," Elphaba whispered softly and waited. She knew her visions well enough to know it took time, and she chuckled softly as the snow started to fall, hopefully, this meant that the block on her magic was lifted. Ten minutes later, she made her way back down the stairs, shivering a little bit, the memory of two visions now in her head.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Fiyero grouched, rubbing the back of his head where his sister whacked him.

"You're hiding something. And you never hide anything."

"What the hell are you talking about now?"

Riya raised an eyebrow. "You and Elphaba. You're being secretive."

Ambram smirked and said nothing, pretending to be busy with a book from a shelf.

"If Fae hasn't told you anything during your girl talks, I can't help you." Fiyero shrugged, about to cross the room to his brother, but his sister stopped him again.

"I will find out, little brother. One way or another." she looked at Ambram. "He tells you everything. D'you know?"

The eldest Tigelaar raised his hands. "Leave me outta this!" he smirked. "That woman, small in frame she may be, terrifies me!"

"How come he knows but I don't?! He's even worse at keeping secrets than that pretty blonde thing you keep around!"

"Glinda knows when to keep her mouth shut and knows that pissing Elphaba off is not a good idea," Fiyero smirked. "Fae will tell you when the time is right for her. I'm doing things her way, I'm not gonna rush her into anything."

"Fine, whatever." she pouted and laughed.

"At least Iona loves her more than she does Glinda." Ambram grinned. "Glinda was, in the words of a five-year-old, too loud and too pink."

Fiyero nodded. "And she only met her once... At my graduation. But Glinda wouldn't be Glinda if she wasn't pink."

Later in the evening, Fiyero looked up as Elphaba entered their bedroom with a smile on her face, he grinned and he couldn't help but think himself the luckiest man in the world. "What's got you looking so happy?" he teased.

She started to take the hairpins from her hair and her dark, wavy locks tumbled down her back, and she got herself ready for bed. "Just... something I saw earlier." she smiled.

"What did you see?"

"It was sort of like a dream..." she said quietly. "Only, it wasn't a dream. I think I had a vision of our baby."

He listened to her in awe and just a twinge of jealousy that she could see it and he couldn't. "What was happening?"

She climbed into bed beside him. "It's probably better if I can show you. Do you trust me?"

"Always."

She smiled and softly pressed her fingers to his temples and whispered an incantation.

He closed his eyes as the vision projected into his head, and he held her hands in his.

_Sque__als and peals of laughter rang through the air, a child's voice__ yelling out and demanding "again!" at whatever was happening to them. The child must have got their wish, for the laughter started again._

_Finally, the scene focused, and now Elphaba saw what was happening. She saw herself sat at __the edge of a riverbank, laughing, watching Fiyero and a small, dark-haired, pale-skinned boy._

_"Come, I think that's enough for now, you'll be too sick to eat!" she laughed again at the boy's pouting and she shook her head._

_"I think we should do what mama says. She'll get mad at me if we don't." Fiyero grinned, swinging the child from around his shoulders and put him on his feet. The child then immediately ran over to her and threw himself into her arms, Fiyero following behind at a slower pace._

She watched him carefully as the vision came to an end, taking in the wonderment in his face, the awe and the love in his eyes.

"Fae... Is that...?"

She nodded. "I could only call that one to memory... I've had two visions... That one was more recent."

He silenced her with a kiss, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "He looks so much like you."

She shook her head, smiling. "He gets it all from you." she chuckled softly when he moved down the bed until he was facing her stomach, she stroked his hair when he began whispering to the child within.


	8. Chapter eight

"Are you sure you're ready? It's okay if you want to stay in here while I-"

"_Fiyero_!" Elphaba cut him off with an exasperated sigh and a smile. "Stop worrying. I am not made of glass, and if I am, I'm like Quadling glass. Strong, hard to break. Your family will have to know at some point, your poor brother is practically ready to burst with excitement!"

He nodded and ran his hand through his hair with a long exhale of breath. "You're right... besides, it's only dinner. And we're not due to tell them until later anyway."

"Exactly. And you heard what Ziva said yesterday. Everything is going as it should be." She was still on the small side for five months pregnant, but their doctor was confident that that would change soon. "Now let's go! I'm hungry!"

He laughed then, and he kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled. She knew if Fiyero had his way, he would keep himself hidden away with her and the little family they made, safe where nobody, not even his own family and their well-meaning intentions could get to them.

"I have a surprise for you later."

The piqued her interest as he left the room with a grin. "Yero, wait!" she huffed and followed him. "What?"

"You'll just have to wait."

"Fiyero! Just tell me!" she pouted.

He laughed and threaded his fingers with hers as they descended the stairs. "No. You'll have to wait." He repeated.

"I don't want to."

"It's not yet time." he kisses her and tapped her nose, laughing when she snapped her teeth at him. "Save the biting for later."

She opened her mouth to respond and was interrupted by the dining room door opening.

"I thought I heard the two lovebirds!" Ambram grinned, hugging Elphaba. "Oz, I missed you."

She laughed and hugged back, more than used to him by now. "You only saw us yesterday."

"Yes, but- ouch!" he pouted, rubbing his head and scowling at his brother.

"We're telling them today," Elphaba explained. "He's a bit stressed."

"_He's _stressed? You're the one who has to go through everything."

She laughed again and shrugged. "And he's already freaking out. We'll be alright."

"How are _you not?" _Fiyero raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because me and freaking out don't mix very well, Yero. Magic explosions tend to happen when I get too emotional, and I prefer this place still standing in four months time."

He chose not to say anything else and the three of them walked into the dining room, taking their seats just as the cook signalled that dinner was on the way.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Elphaba. I hope we didn't worry you too much the last time we met."

Elphaba looked up as Florentina spoke and she shook her head with a smile. "No... I don't deal very well with new people in general or crowds. It's a habit I'm trying to break."

The older woman nodded in understanding. "Yes, Yero did explain a little bit."

"I will get used to it, I just need some time. But I will get there." she glanced at Fiyero who gently squeezed her hand.

"Of course you will. Quadling glass." he reminded her with a smile, waving his hand slightly at the confused looks on his parents' faces.

"Miss Efala? Why are you green? Are you a dragon?"

Elphaba smirked at the young six-year-old. "Only at the end of the month."

Ambram snorted and covered a laugh with a cough, Fiyero blinked in confusion.

Iona giggled at the green woman's imitation of a dragon.

Ambram then leaned in to whisper in his brother's ear; "Brother, she's referring to the wrong side of the month for a woman. I'm guessing _hers _were the last week of the month when she..."

Fiyero then turned red and remained silent, his brother laughed at him.

Fiyero's parents watched Elphaba interact with their youngest with a smile, noting that she came alive when around children and the spark was still there when conversations turned to topics that interested her.

Elphaba looked up, giving them both a small smile before turning her attention back to Iona, who was in the middle of telling her a story she absolutely must hear. It was nothing but the ramblings of a child with several loose threads to the tale and innumerable random tangents, but she listened anyway. It was easy to love the child, just merely being in her presence.

"Where are the others?" Fiyero asked.

"Arethousia and Cherilyn are down with the flu, we didn't want to risk anyone else catching it so they've stayed home," Irjii told his son.

"Riya has a date this afternoon," Ambram answered.

"A date? Who with?"

"Tosinn."

Fiyero laughed at that. "So she ditches the arrangement with Manek for his _cousin_?!"

Ambram nodded. "Which shouldn't surprise you at all, she'd sooner have Manek's head on a spike than share his bed."

"Bamble? What does that mean?"

He looked at his little sister, grinning at Elphaba's smirk. "It means that Riya doesn't like him very much."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not very nice to her. Or anyone for that matter."

That seemed to settle the child and she turned her attention back to Elphaba.

Dinner was served and the conversation turned to Elphaba.

"Do you think you'll go back to school to finish your degree?" Irjii asked.

Elphaba paused for a moment, thinking about the question. "No." she answered finally as she swallowed the bite she had taken. "No, I don't think I will. I can't go back to Shiz after everything that happened."

He nodded.

"If you could, would you like to?" Fiyero's mother asked.

"Yes, very much so." she nodded without hesitation. "Shiz was everything to me. The one thing I regret about the last four years is the fact I threw away my chance at an education for a cause that I ended up failing at. It took me away from the people that I love."

Fiyero held her hand. "You're back now." It took everything he had not to caress her small bump.

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I am." A small giggle left her when he kissed her.

Irjii smiled at his wife, watching the two of them. His son finally looked happy, relaxed, settled.

"I'm sure those two secretly eloped and just haven't told me." Ambram's comment brought a laugh from everyone.

"Oz, don't give him ideas, please!" Elphaba rolled her eyes.

He scoffed. "Like he needs any encouragement!"

"Maybe we could get a private tutor to help her complete her degree?"

Irjii turned to his wife's quiet question and he nodded. "Something we could look into for them."

"What?" Fiyero looked at his parents.

"Nothing, son." Irjii waved his hand with a knowing smile as Fiyero shrugged and turned back to his food.

When everything had been eaten, Elphaba bravely stood up. "If I may, I'd like to say something."

Voices quietened and all eyes turned on the nervous green woman. Fiyero stood up with her.

"Are you sure?" he asked her quietly and she nodded.

"Firstly, I... _we _want to thank you for agreeing to come here... I know... I'm not _exactly _what you expected for Yero..." she hesitated.

"You're all I want," he told her with a smile, holding her close. "We have something to tell you. A few weeks ago, Fae and I found out that she's pregnant." He held his breath, waiting for the reaction.

"What does that mean?" Iona asked innocently.

"Are... are you sure?" Florentina asked.

Elphaba nodded at the woman's question. "Twenty weeks..."

"Mama, what's going on?"

Ambram leaned into his little sister and whispered; "Elphie and Yero are gonna have a baby."

"But that's... How can it be so long?"

"The same night Fiyero left Glinda, that was when we..." she trailed off. "It wasn't something we planned to do."

"She saved my life, put mine before her own more times than she should have." Fiyero tightened his hold around her. "I would have died if she hadn't been there."

"We were stuck in a situation that we couldn't get out of for a long time, and I hadn't really noticed the symptoms... it was only really when we got here and I was able to get a hold on reality again that we sort of... realised what was going on."

Her next question died in her throat when she saw how they were together, with each other. The sheer love and devotion flowing between them as clear as the stream flowing through the woods.

"We were trying to get our heads around it all and getting used to the idea, which is why it took us a few weeks to tell you," Fiyero explained.

"You don't look shocked."

"I was the only one who knew." Ambram grinned at his father.

Irjii then stood up and walked around the table to stand before the young couple and he gently took hold of Elphaba's hand. "Congratulations, my dear. Welcome to our family." He smiled, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

"Congratulations." Florentina smiled, walking around to hug her. "When will we expect our grandchild?"

"The midwife said February twentieth." Elphaba smiled, relief coursing through her upon the realisation she had been accepted.

"Oh, that's wonderful! May I?"

Elphaba nodded. "The midwife is concerned about how small I am but she's confident everything is as it should be."

"I asked Ambram to put us in touch with our family doctor. She will take it from here." Fiyero grinned.

"What are the arrangements for the birth?"

"Hospital birth. I... cannot give birth safely in the traditional way. Family history." Elphaba didn't miss the look of concern and she shook it off, deciding it wasn't worth the argument.

"She'll have to be admitted a week before her due date," Fiyero added, oblivious to his mother's concern.

"Are you all prepared?" Irjii asked.

"No..." he admitted readily. "We have no idea what we need or how to get it."

"Then your mother and I will help in any way we can."

"Really? A-are you sure?"

"Yero, we've done this six times already. I'm sure we have some furnishings somewhere. Your mother and your sisters can help with clothes and whatever else you might need."

"Thank you, sir..." Elphaba blushed, smiling a little.

"Mama, where do babies come from?"

"And that's our cue to get out of here." Fiyero grinned, ruffling his sister's hair and dragging Elphaba away, having just missed someone entering with the post.

"Fiyero!" Elphaba laughed and shook her head. "Yero, we live here."

"I'm not answering that question for them. They've done it five times before, they can answer it."

She rolled her eyes. "And when our children ask the same questions?"

"You're the smart one, you can tell them."

She scoffed and laughed. "Idiot."

He grinned and kissed her, his hand resting on her stomach. "Your idiot."

"Hmm. Mine." she agreed with a smile.

"Have you had any other visions?"

"No. I've had dreams, but nothing tangible like a vision." she shook her head. "I'm glad I was able to share it with you. I didn't think the spell would work."

"Me too."

She kissed him lightly. "I'm going to the library for a bit..." she trailed off seeing Ambram walk over to them. "Everything alright?"

Fiyero looked over his shoulder at him.

Ambram nodded, holding out two envelopes to her. "These just came for you."

She nodded, recognising Glinda's writing on one of them. "Most likely Glinda giving me updates on what's happening. I'll see you both later." She walked away heading to the library.

Fiyero exhaled and groaned.

"Well... that went well." the older brother grinned at his glare. "What?! It could have been worse!"

"And when Fae told mother how far along she was, I _know _she wanted to ask if it was mine!"

"And you can prove to her that it is. You two know what happened back there, they don't. Don't forget, they were so used to you talking about Elphaba for that first year, and then all of a sudden nothing. Nothing for two years, and then they receive a letter from Glinda with her intention to marry you."

"She did what?!"

"The next thing we know, we hear that you've run away, presumed dead until you make yourself known to put all of that to rest."

"I almost did die. I wasn't lying when I said that Elphaba saved me. If she'd have been five minutes later, I would have been, and she would be left to raise our child alone. Or descend into madness. Whichever happened first."

"This 'family history' of hers... it's from her time away, isn't it?"

He nodded. "We were told she would likely bleed out the first time she tries to push."

Ambram winced. "Poor girl..."

"Her mother also died during childbirth with her sister. There were complications."

"You were right when you said she hadn't had it easy. When is the proposal?"

"I'm gonna do it tonight. I have the perfect idea." he grinned.

Elphaba sat in the chair in front of the fire, setting aside the letter from her best friend, and toyed with the second envelope. She chewed her lower lip nervously before opening it slowly and pulled out the letter.

_Dearest little sister, _

_First of all, why in Oz are you writing from the Vinkus?_

_Second of all, you have no idea how good it is to finally hear from you._

_Oz, the rumours flying around about you, the things people have said about you, it's sick and it's twisted! And then I heard that you'd died, burned alive in a fire... I thought you were lost forever...__Fabala, I tried so hard to come back for you... I tried to fight for you but I was blocked at every turn._

_To hear you tell me that you thought I'd forgotten about you, that I just walked away to leave you to fend for yourself... It wasn't true._

_Mother told me once, that if I had the chance to, I needed to get you out, to get you somewhere safe, and I tried so hard to do what she wanted. I couldn't take you with me, I was homeless for a while, the safest place, ironically, was with him... but once I found somewhere, I came back. By then, it was too late._

_Oz, there is so much I want to tell you... So much I need to tell you._

_Are you safe now? Are you happy?_

_I miss you so much, Fabala, will you allow me to meet you again?_

_Love always, _

_Your brother, Shell_

Elphaba choked out a sob and pressed a hand to her mouth. Her brother still cared... her brother came back for her... Of course, Frex would have stopped him... he never wanted her to be happy or safe... She sniffled and wiped her eyes and reread the letter. Oh, how she longed to see him again, hear his voice, feel those safe, protective arms around her small body just as she had when they were children.

She held the letter to her chest and cried quietly. She cried for the childhood she lost, the loss of her big brother, her protector. Eventually, she calmed down and she picked up Glinda's letter, needing to smile after her moment of sadness.

_My dearest Elphie, _

_I think I've found the one this time! No, really, I mean it! Don't laugh at me!_

_Oz, he just has the cutest brown eyes like a puppy... and messy red hair...__Anyway! More about that when I come and see you! Did you get a reply from your brother? Is he alright?_

_How did it go telling Fifi's parents the wonderful news?_

_What did your midwife tell you?_

_Oz, you won't believe who I saw yesterday! Milla! God, she's changed so much, she looks positively miserable! I heard she's been institutionalised three times in the past year, she tried to commit suicide._

_Everyone is calling for me to stay and rule Oz... But I don't think I can do it. I don't have the first clue about ruling or making decisions! I can't do it, Elphie, not without you, and I know that's simply not possible now._ _I miss you and I'll see you soon!_

_Love_

_Glinda x_

Elphaba giggled, it was as though her best friend was in the room with her, spouting out different topics in one breath, not giving her a chance to formulate an opinion on one subject before bouncing to another.

She decided she wouldn't write to Glinda, the letter wouldn't get to her in time before her trip across Oz anyway.

She sighed and stood up, crossing the room to the writing desk to write to her brother.

_Dear Shell,_

_You have no idea how good it is to hear you don't hate me... I was so scared you would after the Wicked Witch years..._

_I'm writing from the Vinkus because that's where I live now... Fiyero and I made a home here._ _I'm more than aware of the rumours about me, I'm sad to say that I had a hand in some of them. I can't remember specifics anymore, it's all a blur, truth be told._

_Knowing that Frex stopped you doesn't surprise me at all... it actually makes sense now... _

_Of course, I want to see you. I miss you so much, there's only the two of us left, we can't lose each other now that we've found each other._

_I am happy, and I am safe now. I'm away from everything... I will explain it all when we meet, there's simply too much to go through..._

_Don't worry about me now. I have found the love of my life, my soulmate. Fiyero is my best friend, my life, and he makes me so happy, so complete, so... loved. I know when you meet him you'll see it, and I'm confident that you will both get along just fine._

_Love always,_

_Fabala x_

"You've been crying."

Elphaba sealed the envelope and self-consciously wiped her face before turning to face the owner of the voice, giving a small smile to Irjii. "I'm alright."

"I've also been around enough women in my life to know when they're hiding such evidence." he smiled softly. "Is everything alright?"

She blushed and she nodded. "Yeah... I just received a letter from my brother with some good news. And I guess the pregnancy hormones are just making me feel more emotional than I normally would."

"Ah, yes, that will happen. And it will happen a lot." he gave her a knowing look.

"Great." she rolled her eyes, and he laughed.

"It's not a bad thing, Miss Elphaba. I imagine life on the run wasn't the safest or the happiest of times."

"I tried to send him back to Glinda that night... I told him it wasn't safe for him. But he wouldn't listen."

"Of course he wouldn't. Elphaba, my dear girl, he's been besotted with you since you first met! Oz, I half expected a letter from him by the end of that first year telling me he had asked you to be his!"

She blinked, confused. "I... I don't understand... he couldn't... He was happy with Glinda."

"That's just what he wanted everyone to believe. I think even he wanted to believe it. When you were forced out, he changed. He wasn't the same man anymore."

"I... He told me he wanted to tell me the day we left for the city... and then he wanted to wait until we came back."

He nodded. "His mother and I were expecting it. When it didn't come and the news broke out about what happened at the palace with the wizard."

"Which I don't doubt was all lies." Elphaba spat, a dark look in her eyes. "That man ruined everything for me. Every dream I ever had of meeting him, of him making my life better..."

"It's all over now. His reign is over and your new chapter starts now. Don't look back, Miss Elphaba, it'll do no good. Look forward, your future, your family are just within reach."

She smiled a little and she nodded. "Thank you."

"I can tell just by being around you, by seeing you both together that you love him very much. He's your equal."

"I do. I've always loved him... that's why I stayed away, to keep him and Glinda safe... That's why I tried to send him away."

"My son is a very stubborn man. He always has been, and when he gets an idea in his head there's no stopping him." Another knowing look at the blushing girl before him. "Sounding familiar?"

"No, of course not." came the petulant reply.

He laughed and shook his head. "You are indeed the perfect match! You're going to have your hands full when your little one arrives."

"I can believe that." she nodded. "Poor kid won't stand a chance."

"But it will be worth it. All the pain, the worry, the stress, it's all worth it when you see them grow up, and you see what they'll become."

"I hope so."

"And it's alright to be scared." He smiled when she turned shocked dark eyes up at him. "Oh, yes. I remember that look. I've seen it on Florentina enough times, and on myself when I look on the mirror. It's natural to be scared. The unknown is a frightening thing. And you'll get things wrong sometimes. It doesn't make you any less of a good parent or a good wife, or husband in my son's case."

"Oh, we... we haven't...-"

"He will. I don't doubt it for a minute, Elphaba. He'll ask you."

Her heart fluttered and she couldn't help but smile then.

"Flora and I like you. We're both in agreement that you and Fiyero are good together, we've only met you twice, and we can see how much you love each other. Yes, I'll be honest, your skin was a bit of a shock when we first saw you, but it was easy to see why Yero is so taken with you. You're smart. You challenge him. You don't hesitate to tell him when he's done something stupid. He's needed that in his life, he's had it far too easy in his life with people giving in to him on a whim just because he demands it."

"Yero is my best friend... my life... He says that I saved him, and while that is true, he has also saved me more times than he knows, more than he realises." She wrote her brother's address on the envelope.

He nodded. "Would you like me to send that for you?"

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course, not." he smiled, taking it from her. "Have you told your brother the happy news?"

She shook her head. "I want to tell him to his face. If he'll agree to see me."

"I don't see why he wouldn't. It sounds like you have a lot to catch up on."

"Eight years. He... he was thrown out when we were kids, and I haven't seen him since. Riya and Yero found where he lives and I was able to contact him again."

Hours later, Fiyero had tied a scarf around Elphaba's head, covering her eyes and he led her up the stairs to the western tower again.

"Yero, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"It's cold!"

He chuckled softly.

"Fiyero, what-?!" she stopped as the blindfold was removed and she was met with the surroundings of the tower, lit only by an oil lamp and the faint glow of the emerald city lying to the east, they stood before the vast lands of the Vinkus currently wrapped in a blanket of darkness. The stars glistened in a sea of black in the night sky above, and a low full moon shone brightly upon them. The scene stole her breath and her words away.

"You've seen a sunrise and a sunset. We haven't seen a full moon yet." He smiled, standing behind her and wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on the curve of her abdomen.

"Yero... it's beautiful," she whispered.

He kissed her temple as she gazed up at the stars, and she launched into a commentary on the constellations and what they meant. As he listened to her, he was transported to a time long ago, when a nineteen-year-old Elphaba jumped into a similar topic of discussion, eager to tell him what she had learned in class that day.

He could listen to her talk all day about something she loved, something else she had learned. It had been true all those years ago, and it still held true now. She lit up and glowed whenever she did talk at length, and she looked impossibly more beautiful. "Don't you ever breathe?" he teased.

She blushed and lightly elbowed him. "I haven't finished."

"Of course not, my love." he grinned and tilted her head back to kiss her.

She looked up at him, dazed and she smiled. "I love you."

Suddenly, the speech he had prepared got lost in his brain. The gesture he had planned had been more than enough to stun him, and now his own words failed him. "Marry me," he whispered against her lips.

"When?" she whispered back without hesitation.

He grinned and turned her around and he kissed her again, holding her close as she readily accepted and reciprocated it. Eventually, they broke apart, needing air, and he took out the small box from his jacket pocket, opening it to show her the delicate gold ring cushioned inside. The design was a simple, elegant infinity knot with three diamonds within it. A blue, white and green. He took hold of her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "Perfect fit."

She giggled and nodded. "It's perfect." She kissed him again. "I love you, Fiyero."

"I love you too, Fae." He picked her up and spun her once, making her laugh. He kissed her once and then lowered himself to the ground, gently nuzzling her bump. "And I love you, and we can't wait to meet you," he spoke softly.

She smiled, brushing a hand through his hair. She loved listening to him speak to their child, her heart skipped a beat whenever he whispered his love and his plans and his hopes for their future. It was his way of making sure their baby knew his voice, knew his presence and knew that he wasn't going anywhere. She shivered from the cold not long after, pulling her cloak around her. "My love, maybe we should go to bed. It's too cold a night to stay up here."

He looked up and nodded, rising to his feet once more and he kissed her. "I'm sorry, Fae."

She shook her head with another smile and she let him walk her back down the stairs, and back to their bedroom. They dressed for bed and lay together wrapped up in each other's arms.


	9. Chapter nine

A/N: Oh, RavenCurls, if only it _was _happily ever after ;) keep reading... you can screech at me on Discord if you absolutely must...

"She looks like she hasn't slept for days... And you're no better." Glinda said softly as she peered in on a sleeping Elphaba one afternoon.

"We haven't," Fiyero admitted, running a hand in his hair, cringing at the look of concern that graced his ex fianceé's face. "We thought her nightmares had stopped after she had that vision."

"This isn't just her nightmares with you."

How did these two women _do _that?! He shrugged it off and shook his head. "Don't worry about me."

"Fiyero, you were left for dead five months ago, beaten by your own men, your friends all because you fell in love with their enemy." Glinda looked at him. "Nobody could come out of that mentally okay, not even you."

"What do you want me to say?!"

"Tell the truth!"

"I'm fine! I have to be!"

"No, you're not, and you don't! Elphie would understand that you need to heal too!"

He shook his head. "No. I'm not going to break, and I'm not talking about this now." He walked away.

"Fine. Then we'll wait for Elphaba to wake up and we'll talk about it then." she followed him.

"Why are you so concerned? It's not like you gave a shit when I went through all that training. Or when I had to put it into practice. Or when I had to pretend I hated her."

"Fiyero! That's not true, and it's not fair! Of course, I care! I cared then and I care now! You know the situation we were both in."

"And you loved every minute of the spotlight being on you. That doesn't change in five months, Glinda."

"Yes, I did. But if I could go back and change it, if I could go back to that attic where Elphie begged me to go with her, I'd do it. In three clicks of those ruby slippers, I'd do it." she couldn't let her temper rise now. He was losing his, and that meant he was close to breaking and being honest about his feelings, and she needed him to do that. "I was swept up in the fairytale and I was naive. But you know what? You could have walked at any time. Gone back home and then gone underground to look for her."

"Staying with them was the only chance I had at finding her. You know going home wasn't an option!"

"If you loved her like you say you do, you'd have found a way. You didn't need to string me along to do it!"

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?! It's not like I _meant _for it to happen!"

"You've been in love with my best friend since college! We've been graduated for nearly two years for Oz's sakes! We could have at least _pretended _to be together, at least I would have known where I stood!" she snapped. "It may have been an on-the-spot decision but you've been thinking about it at least for the entirety of our relationship!" she took a deep breath. "We're getting off track. This isn't about us this is about you."

"I don't want this conversation."

"You need to, Fiyero. You can't keep on like this. You can't keep pretending you're okay. Elphie _will _see through it if she hasn't already."

"I've told her it's nothing to worry about. I've told her my brother is helping me."

"Except he's not, is he! Have you even told him?"

"Yes, he is!"

"How?" She followed him when he walked away again. "Fiyero, how?"

"He gets sleeping tonics for me!"

_Now we're getting somewhere. _she thought. "Fifi... there's only so long they can work for before you get used to them," she told him. "But... you know that already, don't you...?"

He ignored her and walked to his study.

Glinda rolled her eyes and walked after him. "Fiyero... there's a reason doctors are reluctant to give people sleeping tonics... they're highly addictive and can cause more problems than they solve... How often are you using them?"

"Started off twice a week..."

"And now?"

"Every night..."

"Fiyero... this isn't going to make the memories or the anxiety go away..."

"I know!" he snapped and shook his head apologetically. "I know... but it does for a while, enough to help me sleep."

"Only now it isn't working and you tell yourself you need more."

"I do."

"No, you don't. Fifi, you just need someone to talk to. You need to process what happened to you, just like Elphie needs to process what happened to her."

"I'm not as strong as she is. I'm too weak to-" he was cut off by a slap.

"Now you listen to me Fiyero Tigelaar. You are not a weak man. A lesser man would have broken long before now way before their torture began! But you didn't! You endured a horrific ordeal, and you didn't betray the woman you love to save your own skin. That took guts. That took an awful lot of courage. You came through that, you healed, you saved her, you're starting a family with her. That doesn't sound very weak to me."

He rubbed his cheek and hung his head, listening to her. He knew what she was saying made sense. He just didn't feel very strong-minded. "I could never hurt Fae."

"I know. Because you love her. Because love makes us strong. You would defend her until your dying breath, how is that cowardly or weak?" She reached up to touch his face. "You need to heal, Fifi. You need to be strong for her again, and for yourself. You need to stop taking those damned potions." She just hoped that she had caught him in time before he could get any more addicted to them.

"I-"

"Yes, you can. Where are they?"

"I ran out last night... Ambram is on his way with more..." he admitted.

She nodded. That was why he looked like hell. "Okay. You need to come off this slowly."

"I can't do this on my own, Glin."

"Oh..." she said softly and hugged him. "Fifi, you're not on your own. Hopefully, the coming down effects won't be terrible... that means we've stopped this before it gets worse."

"Fae can't know about this... she's already worrying too much and she's dealing with her own nightmares..."

"What's the alternative? Leave her for a few months? Fiyero, she will have to know."

He shook his head. "Can... Can't you stay?"

"And what reason would I give? Elphie doesn't need me yet."

He shrugged. "Extra bonding time?"

She sighed. "Fiyero, I can't comfort you at night. Elphie is the one sharing your bed, sharing your life, she should be the one to do that, not me."

"But-"

"I know you don't want to worry her. You're both a little bit broken, but you should be able to lean on each other and take comfort from each other. Now... I'm gonna go back up and see if she's awake, I'm not gonna tell her anything, that's for you to do."

He nodded and watched her go. He groaned and dropped down at his desk, letting his head fall against the wood. "I'm fine... I'm fine..." he muttered. Eventually, he shook his head. He wasn't fine. He was a mess, Glinda knew it, and soon Elphaba would know it. His beautiful, kind, sweet, tragic Elphaba... She had enough to deal with already without having to deal with him, but he knew he couldn't carry on the way he was.

Glinda made her way back to the bedroom, finding Elphaba just waking up. "Good afternoon, sleepy." she smiled.

"Glinda... when did you get here?" she rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up and reached for a glass of water on her bedside table.

"About twenty minutes ago?". Glinda shrugged, climbing onto the bed with her.

" Why didn't you wake me? Where's Fiyero?"

"Fifi and I had some private matters to discuss... I left him sulking in the study."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow over the rim of her glass before she set it back down.

"He needs to tell you himself. Truth be told, he hasn't fully processed what happened to him yet."

"Oh..."

The blonde nodded. "Anyway... you didn't respond to my letter!"

"Cause you'd get here before it got to you." she smiled.

Glinda shrugged. "So? What did his parents say?"

"It was... weird... his father was a bit more receptive than his mother... she seems a little... cautious... maybe? I could tell she doesn't think this child is Fiyero's."

"Did she say that?"

"No. But you could see it in her eyes and she just kept looking at me the rest of the evening until they left..."

"Oh, Elphie..." she hugged her.

Elphaba shrugged and hugged back. "It's fine... Anyway... Ziva is happy with my progress so far, she seems to think I'm on track to having a healthy baby at the end." she smiled.

Glinda giggled. "That's great! Oz, I'm excited! Aren't you?"

"Yeah. I actually am." she nodded, giggling a little. "I'm nervous too... and scared. But mostly excited."

"Good. I'm glad it's going okay for you." Glinda smiled.

"Tell me what happened with Milla?"

"Oz, it's simply tragic! To avoid disgrace, she was forced to marry a farm boy."

"Disgrace? You mean she-?"

"While we were at Shiz for the final year, she fell pregnant to a Munchkinlander, so her parents forced her into marriage otherwise she would be financially cut off and disowned. Anyway, she ended up having the baby taken away before graduation and she's been unhappy ever since. She was trying again, but it didn't happen, and she recently told me she found out she was barren."

Elphaba gasped. "Oz... the poor girl..."

Glinda nodded solemnly. "I know... she doesn't see the point in looking for her child, but..."

"She can't live on without it either."

"She's not the same as she was, Elphie..."

"I don't think I would be either. Well, actually... if you think about it, none of us are the same as we were in school."

"I guess so." Glinda sighed. "Have you heard back from Shell?"

"I did... he doesn't hate me. He came back for me when we were younger."

"I told you so! I guess he wants to see you? Was he surprised about there the letter came from?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he does. He wrote back yesterday saying he's going to make the journey up and he'll be here in three weeks." She laughed again as she was hugged.

"Do I get to meet him?"

"As long as you don't try and marry him straight away," she smirked.

"But what if he's cute?" Glinda gasped. "We could be sisters!"

"That's it. I'm actually having a nightmare. You're not real."

"Elphie!"

"What happened to 'the one' in your letter last week!"

"Oh, he's history."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Of course. And that is why I don't want you flirting with my brother."

Glinda pouted for a moment. "Fine."

Elphaba shook her head with a laugh. Oh, she'd missed this... A vague memory of them both back at Shiz, curled up in bed laughing and talking together flashed across her mind. Gossiping with her best friend wasn't something she had ever imagined doing before her friendship with the blonde, and yet, whenever they were together, that's what they did. She felt... _normal_. A normal young woman and her best friend, and the fact that she had green skin no longer mattered.

Suddenly, a green hand shot out and grabbed the pale one and she placed it on her stomach.

"Elphie, what...?" Glinda trailed off when she was shushed. Then she gasped when she felt something move beneath her palm, and tears sprung to her eyes. "Is that...?"

Elphaba nodded, smiling.

The blonde gasped softly and burst into tears and threw her arms around her.

Elphaba chuckled softly, rubbing her back. "I know... I think I cried too when I first sat back and really felt it. And Fiyero cried too, he talks to him."

"Him? How...?"

"Just a feeling." she shrugged.

"Do you think he hears in there?"

"I don't know, books are a bit vague on that... I like to think so, though."

Glinda smiled, of course, Elphaba would try and make sense of it logically... of course, she would look it up in a book. "Not everything can be learned from a book."

"That's what our midwife said." Elphaba rolled her eyes with a grin. "She said sometimes it's better to feel things, and not think so much." she paused when Glinda laughed. "That's exactly what Fiyero did!" she hit her with a pillow.

Glinda squeaked and laughed more. "We know what you're like, Elphie! You were our friend for like... a year of our college lives!"

Elphaba pouted.

"Come on. You know it's true just as much as I do. Do you remember what I used to tell you?"

"You used to tell me a lot of things, Glinda. You once told me I'd be popular."

"After that!" She sighed and shook her head at her friend's confusion. "I told you that you'd get your fairytale eventually."

"Fairytales don't exist, Glinda."

"Yes, they do. You're living one right now."

"What's this one called? '_The Prince and the Frog'_?" she smirked.

"Oh, Elphie!" Glinda scoffed and paused when she saw something glittering, and she grabbed her friend's left hand. "What's this?"

A wide smile broke out on Elphaba's face. _Took her long enough..._ she thought sarcastically. "It's... an engagement ring."

"A..." Glinda stopped and squealed loudly, laughing giddily and she hugged her again. "Oh my, Oz! Elphie that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Elphaba laughed with her and hugged back. "Thank you."

"How did he do it? Was it with his family? Did he have a speech?"

"Lin! Breathe." she giggled. "No big, grand gestures, no crowds, no romantic speeches. Small and simple, just how I would have liked it. He showed me the full moon and the stars. And then he kissed me and said 'marry me'."

"Sounds romantic to me. He could have made the effort with a speech or something!"

"He probably did have one... or maybe it was just a spontaneous decision. Either way, I felt it was perfect." she smiled.

"What did you say? I mean... obviously, you said yes..."

She shook her head. "No. I said 'when?'."

Glinda giggled and hugged her again. "And you still think you don't have your fairytale?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Glinda..."

"Elphie, you're marrying a prince, you're having his children."

"And if he had his way he wouldn't ascend the throne and his brother would take his rightful place."

"Why wouldn't he? I think Ambram would make a wonderful king."

She shrugged. "He doesn't think his people would accept a gay king. A lot of people are still stuck in the past."

"Oh." the blonde hummed sympathetically. "What do the family think about it?"

"Yero said that they passed this law a few years ago that meant the ruler no longer had to be married or produce an heir... the title would then be passed to whoever was next."

"Which would eventually mean Fifi and then your children." Glinda finished.

"Exactly."

"Well, that's strange."

"What is?"

"His mother can accept she has a gay son but can't accept Fiyero choosing you. It's not like he could control his sexuality any more than you could control being green!"

"She's probably worried that I'll pass the green on. I don't know if I would, my mother certainly was not green and you know Nessa wasn't. Neither was Shell."

"That vision you had... you didn't see a green child, did you?"

"No, but that means nothing. That's a snapshot of one child, who knows what would happen? Maybe any other children Yero and I may have turn out green. Or my children's children turn out green. That's her worry, I think. I know it's mine."

"Well, it's a stupid worry! And it's not something that you can control nor is it your fault."

"That's easy for you to say!"

"I know. But it doesn't make my point any less wrong, now, does it? It's a worry, a concern, but can you stop it?" A shake of her head. "No. But you can deal with it, and prove to them and to everyone that it's nothing to be ashamed of. I still love you. And the whole _world _knows that Fiyero is absolutely devoted to you." That brought a giggle from her friend, and Glinda gently swept her dark hair away from her emerald face. "Do you want to get up and get something to eat?"

"No. I feel like being lazy today."

As if on cue, Ambram walked in with a tray of food and a pot of jasmine tea.

"How long were you out there?" Elphaba teased, smiling.

"I wasn't, why? Were you talking about me?" he grinned.

"We might have been." she nodded, taking the tray from him and settled it between her and Glinda and put the pot of tea and the cups on the table. "Thank you."

"And I take it you're responsible for Fiyero looking like someone's kicked over his sandcastles?" he smirked at the blonde.

"Oh, really? He's still pouting over a few truths?!" she scoffed, stealing some fruit from her friend's plate. "I've half a mind to kick him in the-"

"Please don't." Elphaba cut her off. "I'd have to deal with his grouching for the rest of the night," she added with a raise of an eyebrow. "Not what you were thinking."

"Like you'd object to it."

Elphaba shrugged nonchalantly and picked up an apple and put it aside. "Wouldn't be too difficult to soothe _that _pain away, I can assure you."

Glinda wrinkled her nose. "Elphie, must you?"

The green-skinned woman looked at her friend innocently with a wicked grin on her face. "What? You know I've always been blunt."

The blonde shrugged. That much was true. "I'm sorry but he needs to face up to his issues, as difficult as it is for him, he needs to process what happened so he can move on from it."

Elphaba nodded. "I know, that's what I've been telling him. He thinks I don't know when he has his own nightmares, he won't let me see and he won't let me comfort him."

"He doesn't want to worry you," Ambram told her, pouring the tea for them. "I know keeping you in the dark is gonna have the opposite effect, but his heart is in the right place."

She sighed. "I know... I'm going to try and get him to talk to me..."

"You need to process your trauma too, Miss Fae."

She shrugged. "I am. Slowly. I just... can't shake off the nightmares."

He nodded, choosing not to say anymore and he left the girls alone.

"Don't say it," Elphaba warned as she cut into her omelette and took a bite.

Glinda simply shrugged, picking at a sandwich silently.

The two women ate in silence, both lost in their own thoughts until Glinda broke the deafening quiet when she tasted her cup of tea. "What's in this?"

"Jasmine tea," Elphaba answered. "Riya suggested it, it's been the only hot drink I can keep down."

She nodded. "It's different... But I quite like it."

The other witch smiled. "It is..." she agreed. "It took me a couple of weeks to get used to it. She thought I was sick with a stomach bug. And then last week she was told the truth, her overexcited reaction would have made you proud."

"So... everyone apart from his mother likes you and is happy for you."

Elphaba shrugged. "I can understand why... after everything that happened. I know I'd be a bit cautious to accept if it were me..."

"I guess so, but she could still give you a chance. You didn't exactly come out of nowhere... we were in college together."

"I know." she sighed. "All I can do is try and make her like me. If she doesn't, well... it won't matter anyway, I'm used to it." She raised a hand to cut off her friend's argument. "I know, I know it wasn't my fault. I know I couldn't control it. He's told her also."

Glinda sighed, settling back with her tea. "It's still not fair."

Elphaba shrugged. "I guess not."

A few hours later, Elphaba had fallen back to sleep after their talks, Glinda pressed a soft kiss to her friend's temple and gently got off the bed and left the room. She tried looking for Fiyero, but to no avail and then she headed down to the foyer.

"It's late, you can't go now."

Glinda spun around, seeing Fiyero walk over. "Fifi, you frightened me."

He smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Look... why don't you stay here for the night. It gets dark outside quick around these parts, and you know Fae won't mind."

Glinda paused for a moment in thought. She _did _need to talk to him... and it would be better face to face... "I guess... but I have no other..." she cut herself off. "I suppose Elphie wouldn't mind me borrowing something of hers for the night..."

"Go on, go and pick something, I'll get a guest room set up for you."

"Only if you promise me one thing."

"What?"

"We need to talk. Really talk this time."

"Glinda, I-"

"Fiyero. Please. You can't bury it, Elphaba already knows you hide things from her."

He sighed heavily and nodded. "Alright," he said after a long silent moment. He took her to the guest room he was going to set up. "Mine and Elphaba's room is down the stairs and the last door on the left."

She nodded and left the room, following his directions, heading back to where her friend slept. She fumbled in the dresser for a nightgown, nose wrinkling slightly at the sheer lack of colour in her friend's wardrobe. Her Elphie was coming to terms with _style_, and she supposed that was her only consolation. Eventually, she found a blue full-length, long-sleeved cotton nightgown and silently slipped from the room. "I don't know why I'm surprised that she has no colour in her clothes. I mean, it's taken her nearly four years to even get some style in there!" she said as she made her way to the guest room.

Fiyero rolled his eyes when he heard her. "And how would you know? You haven't seen her for half that time." he smiled.

"Because somebody, as stuck in her ways as Elphaba, does not change her style within days of going on the run. Drab and shapeless is perfect for being inconspicuous. I love her, of course, but if she could just listen to me when it comes to colour..." she dropped the article of clothing on the bed.

He laughed quietly and shook his head.

"Come on. You owe me a hot chocolate," she told him and walked out.

_It's not as if I have a choice. _he thought sarcastically. He sighed and followed her.

"How is Elphie getting used to the staff?"

He shrugged. "She doesn't like it, she would prefer to do things for herself, but she knows it's not always possible. She's made me promise not to get people in to dress her and do her hair." he smiled.

"It shouldn't surprise you that she is refusing the full princess treatment." Glinda giggled.

"No, you're right." he had to laugh at that. He took her to what had originally been a small drawing-room, which was now arranged as a lounge, with two sofas around a small table and an open fire burning away in the grate.

"You're really trying to make this place like a home, aren't you." she smiled.

He nodded. "This isn't exactly where I wanted to be, but it's the safest place, and I wanted to make it as comfortable as I could for both of us."

"What you've done so far is amazing. You should be proud of yourself."

He shrugged, smiling a little and he headed off to the kitchens to prepare their drinks.

Glinda wandered the room, smiling a little as she took in the little details. An empty bookshelf stood at the back of the room beside the window. Above the fireplace stood pictures from their days at Shiz, the very few they had of Elphaba were of when they were in a small tight-knit group. Herself, Fiyero, Elphaba, Nessa, Boq, Milla, Crope and Tibbet grinned back at her from the black-and-white images. She couldn't recall the locations of the photos, but the laughter and the chatter echoed in her memories. She wondered what became of the remaining two of their group. There was, of course, one photograph Glinda had kept for herself. It had been the day before they left for the Emerald City, and Fiyero had taken the picture of the two girls stood on the bridge above Suicide Canal, arms wrapped around each other and grinning widely, they had been celebrating what should have been the green girl's dream come true.

"I was looking for the right place to put them."

Glinda startled and looked over her shoulder, seeing Fiyero come back into the room with the two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and he put them on the table. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere... I think they look fine where they are."

He nodded. "Guess so."

"Do you ever wonder what happened to them?"

He paused and then shook his head. "I'd... actually forgotten about them until recently," he admitted.

Glinda smiled a little and they both sat down in front of the fire. "I saw Milla not too long ago... but I haven't seen the other two boys since we went our separate ways..."

"How was she?"

"Not good would be an understatement, Fifi. She's practically given up."

He winced, feeling sorry for his old friend. "She didn't have it easy in the end, did she." he sighed when she shook her head. "Who knows, maybe we'll see them all again. Obviously not Nessa, but..."

"I hope so. Maybe Biq will be happier now she's gone."

He shrugged, wondering what happened to the Munchkin. Surely at the news of their engagement, he would have been there to declare his love for the blonde again. For him not to resurface even after it had been called off was a little odd for him. Surely the rumours weren't true... Elphaba wouldn't have cursed him... she certainly wouldn't have placed a spell on somebody unless absolutely necessary... She hated what her magic could do.

They sat in a comfortable silence and drank slowly. Eventually, their discussion turned down the path Fiyero wanted to avoid, but couldn't any longer.

"What stops you from sleeping?"

"I dunno," he answered truthfully and sighed. "It started... by being back up on that pole." he shuddered. "Glinda, I can't do this."

"You can," she spoke gently.

He took a minute to compose himself, setting the half-empty mug down and curled his knees to his chest.

Her heart went out to him, she watched him sympathetically. "It's okay. Take your time."

He sighed, dropping his head down. "It changes sometimes... But they always come back. And it always ends with me not being able to stop them. They always get to Elphaba and..." he cut himself off and screwed his eyes closed.

"Shh... it's alright," she spoke gently, putting a hand on his arm which he tried to shrug off. "Fiyero, they're gone... I can promise you they're not coming back for either of you."

"But what if they get to you and-"

"They won't. The first thing I did after I had to give a speech and pretend my best friends were dead was disband that awful regiment. The ones who were known to commit such atrocities are awaiting sentencing. Those who, like you, didn't want to be there, went back to their families."

He nodded and rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve, wiping away any trace he had been crying. "But-"

"Nothing. It's alright."

He nodded again.

"You just need to open up to Elphie. I know... I know your heart is in the right place, your intentions are good and pure. But you need to tell her. This whole... secrecy about what's going on with you is worrying her and scaring her." she shook her head at his frightened look. "I know you didn't mean it. She knows it too... she loves you and she's worried about you." She sighed and set her own mug down and then opened her arms. "Come here."

As he hugged her the dam broke, and he held her as he cried.

Glinda bit her lip and forced away her own tears at the heartbreaking scene playing out before her. "Shh... it's okay..." she whispered, hugging her friend tightly. That awful man and his time as leader of Oz had a lot to answer for, and they were all victims of circumstances nobody could change.


	10. chapter ten

A/N: admittedly this is just a filler just because I wanted to give you guys something. Quarantine has kicked me about just a little, and I've had ups and downs but picking myself back up slowly. I hope everyone is staying safe and I love you all! And thanks FaesFlower for the review, it made me smile!

It took Fiyero two more weeks to finally confide in Elphaba about what had truly gone on that night he'd sacrificed himself for her. And before he could stop himself, everything came spilling out; starting from the news breaking out about her running away. Elphaba sat patiently in her chair in the library, her book long forgotten as she held him, comforted him, encouraged him to continue. She cried with him and wiped away his tears, and silently fumed when she finally got to know the truth, and she knew it wasn't Fiyero she was angry at. She could never be mad at him, even now when he'd kept it from her and confided in her best friend before he came to her. She could even understand why he spoke to Glinda. She was the closest person to him who went through the same thing and could share that burden, even while Elphaba herself was carrying her own burdens.

"I'm sorry," he spoke quietly, sagging against her as they sat huddled together.

Her fingers stopped mid-stroke in his hair and she glanced at him with soft dark eyes clouded with confusion. "Whatever for?"

He shrugged. "Not telling you? Not being strong enough to deal with it? Everything?"

She scoffed softly and she restarted brushing her fingers in his hair. "Yero... You don't have to deal with everything alone... Sometimes it's okay, and the right thing to do to ask for help. And that's coming from _me_ of all people." she smiled.

He smiled faintly and hugged her tighter, nuzzling his head against her chest, heaving a heavy sigh, his hand resting on her stomach. "I just didn't want you to worry."

"I love you, Yero, but you can't do anything about that. I'll always worry about you. I always know when you don't seem yourself, or when you're hiding something from me, like your own nightmares. I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Please, please don't hide it from me any more. I want to be able to comfort you from your own dreams like you've done so many times with mine. I want to be there for you. We're in this together."

He nodded, falling quiet as he felt their child kick beneath his palm.

"Fiyero?"

"Hm?" He looked up then.

"Promise me?"

He nodded again, looking into her eyes, giving in to her once more, just as he always would. "I promise. I'll tell you everything." He kissed her lightly as she smiled. He knew that he would do anything she asked, and she knew it too. "I love you."

"Which one of us are you talking to now?" she teased.

"Both of you," he told her honestly, hearing the humour in her tone made him smile. "I... I'm gonna go without the sleeping tonic tonight."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Okay..." she smiled softly. "And I'm gonna be right here with you." she wouldn't leave him on his own no matter how much he would say he would be alright.

"Fae-"

"No. I love you, Yero, but if you even think about hiding it from me I won't hesitate to hex you." she raised an eyebrow. "We are in a relationship together. Even with my very limited experience, I know that means that we deal with everything together, however good or bad."

He sighed and thought for a minute. "Fine..."

"Good. Now if you could get off me please?"

"No." he smiled and tightened his hold on her.

She laughed and pushed him. "Fiyero!"

He grinned and let her go, climbing off the chair and he helped her to stand, and he watched her leave the room. he sighed heavily again and dropped back down into the chair once she was out of sight. _Glinda was right, for once. _he thought and shook his head. His friend had told him he would feel a bit better after talking with Elphaba, and he did feel the weight shifting in his stomach. Now he just had to keep his promise of letting her in, letting her help him.

A short time later, Elphaba made her way back to the library, smiling softly when she heard quiet snores before she saw Fiyero asleep in the chair. She took off her cloak and lightly draped it over him, picked up her abandoned book and sat in the chair opposite him, curling up to read again but her gaze kept drifting back to Fiyero, her heart breaking a little more as she really concentrated on him, she could tell how tired he was and how much he was breaking under the pressure and pretence of being okay when he so clearly wasn't. She looked up at the soft sounds of footsteps on the wooden floor, smiling a little as Riya entered.

"Is everything alright?" Riya asked, noting the look of concern on Elphaba's face.

She nodded. "Yeah, it was a long night for him last night, I think he's worrying too much."

"My brother... isn't as good at hiding his feelings as he thinks he is." Riya acknowledged. "He only thinks so because people don't pay close enough attention to him when he says he's fine."

"Which... I think I've been guilty of lately..." Elphaba sighed.

Riya scoffed and walked closer to her. "You can hardly be guilty of anything. It's only natural to be a bit preoccupied with your thoughts, especially when your hormones are all over the place. You're going through changes every day."

"But I missed the fact that he was hurting too."

"Listen to me. You're not to blame, you didn't miss anything. He just used the fact that you're preoccupied to lie to you about how he is. But I'm guessing he's told you what's really going on?"

Elphaba nodded. "He's been dealing with his own nightmares on his own. Well... not _totally _alone. Ambram has been helping...sort of..."

"What did the idiot do now?"

"He's been feeding him sleeping potions from the apothecary over the last few months."

Riya swore under her breath and shook her head. "I didn't think they were that stupid."

Elphaba shrugged. "They probably didn't know or realise. Yero said he's gonna try and go without them tonight."

"Is that wise?"

"Well, he has to try at some point... he won't be alone though."

"You shouldn't deal with this in your condition, Elphaba-"

"I've dealt with far worse a few months ago when I didn't even realise I was pregnant, I'm sure I'll be able to cope with Fiyero and his nightmares and the subsequent temper that will follow."

"But you shouldn't have to, and I'm sure he would see it that way as well."

"He may well do, but I am not a weak woman, I promised that I would help him and that is what I intend to do."

Riya nodded, smiling softly. She could see that she loved her brother very much. "Just... don't try and do it all by yourself if you're struggling."

"Understood." The green-skinned woman gave her a small smile, but she already knew that was a promise she would have trouble keeping.

"Have you heard back from your brother?"

"He should be here Friday... he sent word to me when he got to his final stop through the Pasture of Kumbrica Pass." Elphaba nodded and gave her a quizzical look at the slight grimace. "What?"

"He couldn't have chosen another route?"

"Apparently not... The coaches wouldn't allow him..." she shrugged. "Why?"

"Most people try to avoid Kumbrica Pass if they can help it. It's full of bandits... But I'm sure he'll be fine!" she hastened to add when she saw the younger woman look shocked. "Did he give an idea of his arrival in a couple of days?"

"Around lunchtime," Elphaba answered with a little fear in her tone. "Are you sure he'll be okay?"

Riya nodded. "Yes! Oz, I'm being dramatic... bandits are the worst-case scenario. He'll be fine. Forget I said anything."

The younger woman didn't look convinced and barely twitched a smile when Riya gently nudged her.

"I'm sorry, I should have kept my stupid big mouth shut, I speak before I think."

This time Elphaba did smile a little bit, that sounded familiar to her.

"Come on. I was told there were cakes and sweet treats in the kitchens." Riya linked her arm with hers and they both headed through the castle. Minutes later they found the kitchens, Riya ushered Elphaba to a chair and then made tracks to the fridge for the sweet treats and brought them across to her. "Have you made wedding plans yet?"

Elphaba pulled a plate of forest fruit cake towards her and took the fork handed to her. "No... I don't really know what I'd like to plan." she shrugged. "Glinda said she would think up a few ideas, but I don't trust what she would plan... She likes big, grand events with lots of frills and copious amounts of pink... It would be interesting to see what she would choose..."

Riya smiled as she popped a bite-sized piece of caramel topped brownie in her mouth, listening while she chewed. "If you'd like some help I can ask mother for some tips? A bit of a bonding exercise for us all maybe? If you're feeling up to it of course."

"I... I'm not exactly sure..." she said after a moment of silence. She didn't know what she was unsure of. Gradual acceptance? Socialising? The plans in general?

"There's no rush, of course," Riya assured her, though it wasn't exactly true. There would, of course, be talks from the people. The waiting press had been awaiting the scandal of her brother, waiting for him to fail every since his wild teenage days. It wouldn't exactly come as a surprise back then if he'd gotten some unsuspecting girl in a delicate situation and he hadn't intended on marrying her. But this situation was different. Fiyero had been head over heels for the woman in front of her ever since they'd been at Shiz together, and he was intending to marry her. How would they react to a child who would be technically illegitimate for a short time? What would it do to the lineage and any future children they had? She made a mental note to speak to her parents when she returned home.

For Elphaba, she didn't want to venture out of her comfortable little bubble just yet, she felt safe and calm for the first time in a while and didn't want to disturb it. She wanted to wait until after the baby was born to deal with it, but knew deep down, that in itself could cause complications for the pair. '_My whole life is one big complication._' she thought dryly. Instead, she settled on; "I just want to see my brother first. I want his input before I do anything else..."

Riya nodded, smiling. As much as her brothers annoyed her, she looked to them for their advice and looked up to them too. She understood that. "That's alright."

"You could look into dresses though if you wanted... make a start at least..." she told her with a nervous undertone.

"Of course I will. Don't be so nervous." Riya grinned. "I'll help in any way I can."

"I know, but..."

"Elphaba, I promise, don't worry. I get it, you're probably not used to all of this and it will be a long, slow road. But you're my sister now and I'm here for you, no matter how long it takes."

She smiled and nodded, delving into her slice of cake.

Sometime later, Fiyero woke up alone still in the library, having noticed Elphaba's book in her once-occupied chair. Tiredly, he stood, stretching out his cramped muscles before leaving the room and headed down to see if dinner would be ready soon, it wasn't long before he heard chatter and giggling. He followed the noise and grinned at the sight of Elphaba and his sister in conversation with each other.

"I swear, he's lucky he didn't break his neck! Oh, mother grounded him for a month!"

That revelation sent a new wave if giggles through the green woman. "There have been plenty of times he should have come away with injuries and he hasn't."

"What am I being blamed for now?" he teased as he entered the dining room.

Riya smirked at him. "I was just telling Elphaba about the time you fell out of the attic space in our grandparent's cottage."

"How does one manage to fall out the way you did?"

"One of my many talents, Fae, is not looking where I'm going. I was walking backwards with a box of Lurlinemas decorations." he grinned. "All because _someone_ wanted them out a month early and refused to go up there among all the spiders."

A spoonful of ice cream went into Elphaba's mouth before the spoon was pointed upwards. "I'm with her on that. Spiders are just... nope."

"Exactly! I know _why _we have them, I just don't necessarily have to _like _them!" Riya complained. "And you love Lurlinemas just as much as I do!"

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "And for the record, there weren't any spiders to be seen."

"Oh, I know he does. He was like a child when we were at school together."

Fiyero swiped the spoon from her and took his own mouthful of ice cream before dropping between them. "Just because you're an actual Grinch when it comes to Lurlinemas-"

"I am not! I just don't see the point in making a fuss over _one day_!" she snatched the spoon back with a pout.

He laughed and kissed her head, putting his arm around her.

"Did you enjoy your nap?" Riya cocked her head.

He nodded. "Actually... yeah. For once. Not sure how a full nights sleep will go yet."

Elphaba smiled softly. "Baby steps, love. We'll get there." Her free hand rested on his leg and she went back to her ice cream tub.

Riya gave a small nod and she smiled. "Just be careful. Things like this can go wrong. And I'm talking to both of you now."


	11. Chapter eleven

A/N: Apparently, I needed a bum chapter to get back into this. Thanks for the reviews, I love you! edit; also don't try to edit two fics at the same time... you get them mixed up!

Glinda walked the streets of the Emerald City, smiling and waving at the people who acknowledged her. As much as she loved the attention, she longed for just one day where she could walk into a store and be as inconspicuous as everyone else. _Maybe this is how Elphie felt when we first came here... _She thought wistfully. It didn't take her long to find her favourite dress shop and she walked inside.

"Your Goodness! What a pleasant surprise! What can I do for you today?"

The young blonde smiled at the tall, fuzzy grey-haired, dark-skinned woman and simply shook her head. "Nothing today, Miss Annesha. I'm just looking... I was thinking of getting my friend something."

"A special occasion?"

"An emergency, I think. Bless her, she doesn't have the best style and her colour choices are a little bland... But she's expecting and she's running out of dresses that fit her."

"Oh, how wonderful! The gift of life is such a precious thing! Does she not have family who could help?"

Glinda paused before she shook her head. "I am, regrettably the only family she has that can help her. Her husband has no clue and he would just let me deal with it." she giggled.

The old woman gave her a knowing nod, a smile of her own. "Very well, I think that's what most men around here do. Oh, I've seen many a blissful young couple in these walls and the boys all have the same bored, glazed look on their faces and wince when their beloved asks for their card."

Glinda remembered all too well that same scenario with herself and many of her suitors. Only Fiyero hadn't seemed to mind when handing over his money. "I know it well." she chose to say.

"Now, is your friend able to come in for measurements? I can book an appointment if you'd like."

"Oh, no! I'm afraid she doesn't live near the city. But I do have them here, I measured her myself." she took the piece of paper from her purse and handed it over. She wondered how she got talked into this when all she came in for was to browse, but then again, this always seemed to happen, and she didn't mind one bit. "Besides, she doesn't know I'm doing this for her, I'd like it to be a surprise Lurlinemas gift."

"Of course, Your Goodness. Now, how far along is she? I'll see what I can rustle up in time for Lurlinemas." Annesha bustled through to the back of the store, Glinda had followed her.

"She will be coming up to six months. She's due in February," she answered. "I know I've left it late, but she's been rather lucky in being quite small up until recently where she's just starting to show more," she added with a giggle. "Ooh! That blue looks divine!" she gasped, reaching out for a reel of royal blue fabric. "Yes, I can just see Elphie in that!"

Aneesha looked upon the young woman like she would her granddaughter and smiled. "Tell you what, you pick out the colours, since you know your friend's taste, and I'll do the rest. No need to worry about payment this time."

"Oh, don't be foolish! Of course, I'll pay-"

"Now let's not quarrel. I've made my decision."

Glinda paused and bit her lip in a thoughtful manner. "Are... are you sure? I don't mind-"

"Yes, I'm sure. May I speak frankly?"

"Of course!"

"Miss Glinda, you have been coming here for years now, ever since that first trip you made to the city while you were still in university, and I have always enjoyed your company and your custom. I'd like to do this for you as a thank you for all of that. I admire you greatly for finally standing up for what you believe in, I know it can't have been easy under the circumstances."

Glinda nodded as she listened and she sighed. "Alright." She smiled. "Alright, you win."

Aneesha grinned smugly and went back to her tasks.

Fiyero grinned as he walked into the bedroom to find Elphaba throwing another dress to the floor, her black slip ruffling over her curves as she moved in apparent frustration. "I don't know who exactly you're trying to fool, but the minute you hug him you're going to give the game away."

"If you're not going to help, leave me be." came her irritated voice from behind the closet door.

He simply laughed and crossed the room to her, spinning her around and planting a kiss to her lips. "First of all, you need to stop stressing, your brother is not going to be that bothered by seeing a pregnant woman. I imagine he saw your mother in that same situation twice and probably more than just that in his life." He reached over her shoulder for a purple coloured dress. "And secondly, this one suits you better."

"But we haven't seen or spoken to each other in years, this is a lot to drop on someone." Elphaba sighed and took it from him. "I know, but it fits too much... I've already had to let some of them out at the waist."

"Fae, I'm sure it will be fine." he smiled. "If you would just let me-"

"Don't even think about it. No, as soon as I can I'll pay for my own dresses, thank you." she huffed, pulling the dress on. "Now, be a love and tie the corset?" she smirked, moving her long dark hair to the side.

He scoffed and shook his head while she turned her back to him, and yanked the ties sharply with a smirk of his own as she yelped and laughed.

"Yero, don't do that!"

"You, Miss Fae, are getting way too mouthy." he teased before he tied it up.

"You like my mouth," she commented and turned back to him with a smug glint in her eye and she quickly pecked his cheek.

He nodded, leaning her against the door. "I do." He acknowledged. "But this attitude right now is dangerous."

"Hm? Why is that?"

"Because if you carry on like this, I'm afraid I can't let you leave this room and I won't let you leave our bed." He smirked. "And right now, we don't have the time for that."

She giggled and shook her head. "Fine, I'll behave. For now." She stood straighter and reluctantly pushed him away from her so she could leave the closet.

Fiyero chuckled softly and pulled out a coat for her while she tied her hair into a ponytail and studied herself in the full-length mirror beside the window. The dress itself covered most of her green skin, the neckline rested at her collarbone and the sleeves cut off just below the elbow, the fabric was heavy and would keep her warm enough for her to venture outside, and the skirt ended at her feet. He smiled, walking up behind her, draping the coat on her shoulders and covered her hands with his as they curved over her bump.

Elphaba smiled softly, leaning back against him. "I love you."

"I love you too." he smiled. "Come on, it's almost time."

She nodded, putting the coat on properly and they left their room, making their way through the castle and outside into the cold. The recent snowfall meant that a walk to the nearby flower park was out of the question, at least from Fiyero's perspective. Elphaba, on the other hand, felt that being pregnant did not hinder her walking abilities, but decided that it wasn't a fight they needed to have.

He helped her into the carriage and they were soon on their way.

"How will you sleep tonight?" she studied him for a moment. Five nights ago he'd made the decision to come off the sleeping tonics, which had had a drastic effect that very night, and neither of them slept well.

He shrugged. "I dunno."

"It's okay if you want to keep on it tonight. Stopping like that clearly isn't good for you."

"But I already had to give in last night, and that was only because you're seeing your brother."

"It's not giving in, Yero, it's accepting when you need help. I think after today we should speak to a doctor. It's not going to happen overnight, love."

He sighed. "I know... Maybe you're right. But let's not go into that now. We don't need to be screaming at each other when you see him."

"I'll talk to Riya... see what she thinks." she decided, and Fiyero said nothing to that. It would be pointless to argue it because he knew she would do it anyway. "We're only looking out for you." She held his hand.

He sighed softly and nodded, raising her hand up and kissing it before lowering it to his knee. "I know."

Ten minutes later the carriage pulled to a stop and the door opened. "We're here, Your Highness." the footman stated.

Elphaba cringed slightly behind Fiyero while he got out, and then helped her out after him. "Thank you."

"You'll wait?" Fiyero asked him.

"As you wish." he nodded.

"I don't like when he says that," Elphaba grumbled in his ear as they walked away.

Fiyero laughed, he didn't need to ask what she meant. "You're gonna have to get used to it at some point, Fae."

"Well... do I have to?" she pouted.

"Yes. Unfortunately for you." he wrapped his arm around her as they entered the gated archway into the park.

She huffed and leant into his embrace while they walked. Moments later they arrived at a small teahouse, heading inside out of the cold.

"Good afternoon, may I get you anything?" the server greeted the pair with a smile that Elphaba suspected was forced.

"Two hot chocolates, please," Elphaba answered with a fake, sweet grin of her own.

"Very well, there's a table just in the cor-"

"No, if you don't mind, we'll take the window seat. We're expecting company and I'd like to be able to see them." she cut him off.

Fiyero bristled and his eyes darkened with annoyance at the server's attitude, a smirk tipping his mouth at his fiancee's bite. "That won't be an issue, will it?"

"Well, you see, Your Highness, your companion is..." the male finished awkwardly.

"What?"

"Well..."

"He means to say I'm unsightly and would probably scare away his customers." Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Oh, trust me, if I could do something about the green skin, believe me, I would have done by now. Unfortunately for us both, that hasn't happened yet. Now, are you going to make a pregnant woman stand all day or are you actually going to be a decent human being and allow her to sit?" She turned on her heel, skirts twirling around her feet as she did so and she stalked over to her chosen table and defiantly dropped into the seat beside the window.

"Is there a problem out here?" an older man came out from the backroom behind the counter.

"Well, I was just about to ask for his name," Fiyero told him. "He needs reporting for his discriminatory behaviour."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Your Highness, whatever young Dimitri here has done, I'm sure I can try to resolve it."

"An apology for insulting my fiancee would be a start-"

"Fiyero, just leave it! It's a headache I don't want or need!"

He ignored her and carried on. "He's just tried to offer us a table hidden away just so we wouldn't scare away the customers, and then would have most likely said something about her had I not been there."

"But look at her!"

"That's enough! You're on your last warning, Dimitri. Why would you be foolish enough to be rude to our customers, especially any member of the royal family? I'm sorry, Prince Fiyero, accept my sincere apologies and I will deal with him as I see fit."

Fiyero nodded and headed over to Elphaba, sitting opposite her. He winced when she stamped on his foot. "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"I didn't want you to do that for me."

"We've had this discussion already, I'm not standing by and allowing anyone to insult you. You're used to it, I know, but you shouldn't have to be."

"It won't change anything, Yero. I'm not helpless."

"I never said you were! But I am!"

"How?!"

"Because all I want to do is prove to you that it doesn't have to be like this. I want everyone to see you how I see you, and not the perceived notion."

"But that's never going to happen. Fiyero, I've made my peace with that, I'm okay with that. You don't have to be, but it's fine, I don't want anyone else to see me the way you do anyway."

He sighed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. It wasn't fine, but he wasn't about to argue with her, it wouldn't be good for her or their child. "If you say so."

"Which is code for 'we'll discuss it later'." she smiled a little and rolled her eyes. "Honestly! I'm fine."

Soon their drinks were brought over by the reluctant server and he scurried away before anything else could be said.

"Don't you dare rise to it."

Fiyero scowled slightly before picking up his cup.

"Remind me, which one of us is pregnant?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your mood swings are worse than mine!" she laughed.

He scoffed and laughed, shaking his head again. "I won't apologise for it."

She rolled her eyes again. "Fine. But don't get us thrown out of here before I've had a chance to warm up." she took a sip from her own cup.

They sat in silence for a moment until Fiyero spoke again.

"I'm sorry for overreacting."

She smiled and reached across the table for his hand. "I know. I get why you do it."

"Just... take it down a notch?" he suggested with a grin, holding her hand in his.

She giggled and nodded. "Exactly. Just remember that not every fight needs to be fought."

"Fine. I'll try and remember, but don't forget there's still a lot of straw up there!" he teased, wincing again when she kicked him. "I'm going to have very bruised shins if you keep doing that."

"I still have that spell committed to memory."

"Alright, alright!"

She laughed. "You're hopeless."

He leaned across the table to kiss her with a grin. "I know." he laughed when she shoved him back down. He took that moment to look over her head to the doorway. There was no mistaking who had just walked in. Shell looked almost exactly the same as his sisters. "Fae."

"What?" she tilted her head, and turned in her seat when he nodded over her shoulder and she froze. She couldn't quite believe the sight before her, that her brother had finally come back to her. Had he grown taller? His brown hair was certainly lighter... Those hazel eyes that were given to him from their mother... "I... Shell?"

Shell looked over in the direction he heard his name. The siblings had locked eyes for a mere clock-tick before Elphaba leapt from her seat and straight into the arms of her brother, and almost immediately his arms locked around her in the biggest bear hug he could manage, his hands gripping her arms almost as fast as they'd held her and he pushed her back a little. "Wait, you're-?"

"Maybe we should sit down first." She told him quietly, feeling anxious and overwhelmed. She wanted to cry and she blamed it on her hormones rather than the reunion. She led him over to the table where Fiyero now stood. "Shell... This is Fiyero."

The older Thropp nodded his head. He had heard of Fiyero, but most of it had been rumour and speculation, none of it appeared to match up to the letters his sister had been writing. He held his hand out. "Wonderful to meet you." he smiled.

Fiyero grinned and shook his hand. "You too."

The three of them sat down at the table.

"Well... When you said you had something to say to me I didn't expect this." Shell laughed awkwardly. "I could swear you're still ten!"

Elphaba giggled and shook her head. "It's a shock to me too..."

"How is everything? You're okay?"

"We're both fine. At first I was a little on the small side, but over the last couple of weeks I seem to have doubled in size." she smiled, her hand resting on the bump. "Fiyero keeps freaking out every time I pick something up I probably shouldn't."

"I do not!" he prodded her lightly when she responded with a scoff. "I just..."

"Hover? Freak out? Act like a drama queen?"

"Sometimes you just don't know when to stop, that's all."

Shell laughed again, watching them both. "Sometimes it's best to leave her to it. She's always been the same, even as a kid. Too proud to admit she needs help sometimes."

"Where are your bags?" Elphaba asked, changing the subject. "Surely you didn't travel without them?"

Shell shrugged. "I left it by the door on that shelf," he told her. "How about we walk and you can tell me everything I missed?" he grinned.

She nodded with a smile. "We'll be out there a while," she warned.

"Okay, maybe not _everything?_" he amended and they both laughed. "It would probably be better to be in your home for the heavy stuff."

Fiyero nodded, planting a kiss on her head and he stood up. "I'm going to take the bag to the carriage and I'll leave you to it for a bit," he spoke and held his hand out again for Shell. "If she starts looking tired, don't take no for an answer and get her back to the carriage."

The elder Thropp nodded, shaking his hand again, smirking at his sister rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Got it."

"Oh, for goodness sake! I don't need babying!" she complained.

"No, but you _do _need stopping sometimes." Fiyero grinned and left the table before she could kick him, sticking his tongue out when she rolled her eyes.

"Oz, you're so childish." she couldn't help but laugh when he left them to it, taking her brother's case with him. "Don't ask."

Shell chuckled softly. "You're both in love, it's expected. It's actually good to see you like this." He stood up and held his arm out for her.

Elphaba shrugged, a slight blush darkening her cheeks. "I guess so. It took some time for us to get to this point." she sighed as she too stood up and linked her arm with his and they left the warm teahouse.

"I almost hate to ask... but what happened to our sister? I mean... I know how she died-"

"She blamed everything on me. It's not her fault, of course. It's all she knew. If father said I was to blame then it must be true."

Shell winced. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you out..."

Elphaba shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It happened, and all that matters is now."

He shook his head and fell silent, only the crunching of the snow beneath their feet could be heard. It did matter, he had unwillingly broken his final promise to their mother. _Look after Fabala. You think I don't know what he does to her behind that door? Get her and yourself out._

"Shell? Honestly, I'm alright. Or... at least I am now."

"If the old man wasn't already dead-"

"Fiyero would have beaten you to it, I'm afraid." she smiled and then grunted as her baby placed a well-timed kick to her stomach.

He looked at his sister with an air of concern before realising what had happened. "How long have you been together?"

"Six months..." she said slowly and then her eyes widened. "Now, don't jump to conclusions! My time on the run didn't exactly leave room for relationships of any kind!"

"But... I don't understand. So you have one night with him and-"

"No! Well... yes, but it wasn't like that. Oz, I hate explaining this..." she sighed, feeling her face burning with embarrassment against the icy wind. "Okay... so, I told you we went to school together. He was dating Glinda at the time and then we... sort of had a moment. Are you following so far?" He nodded. "Good. That moment led to feelings that neither of us knew what to do with or how the other felt. We didn't want to hurt Glinda so... we never did anything about it... and then the trip to the Emerald City happened... fast forward three years later and... he announced that he's leaving with me and then the rest is history."

"So... you left with your best friend's boyfriend?"

_Fiance at that point... _"It's not like he gave me a choice and it's not for want of trying to make him see sense." she shrugged. "He saw right through it and knew I loved him too. He risked everything to be with me and I was trying to keep him safe. So yes, that one night when we gave in to it was the night this happened. And no, I don't regret it." she smiled.

He nodded, listening and smiled. "Alright. Okay, I believe you. But he better not hurt you."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, choosing not to say anything to that. "Okay, that's enough about my part... Why did you end up in Quadling Country? And the name change?"

He shrugged. "Work, mostly. And my wife." he answered. "The name change came from what happened with Nessa. Your actual name was mostly erased from knowledge and I had no idea for a while that it _was _you... or maybe I just didn't want to believe it... I got word from someone that our father died, and she had to drop out of school to take his place."

Elphaba nodded. "I didn't even know that until six months ago..."

He looked over at her. "What?!"

"I went to her... I saw her and thought she took over because he stepped down or he was sick... I wanted her to talk to him, try and get him to help me for once in his sorry life. And she told me he was dead. That he died of shame and it was my fault. She was probably right. He wasn't exactly proud of me when I was growing up."

"Fabala, no-"

"Shell, stop. You know it as much as I do. You know he took his aggression out on me no matter how many times you tried to step in. You know I was looked at with contempt."

He shuddered, he could still hear a six-year-old Elphaba's crying and pleading. It frightened him more when she fell silent. At least when she was making noise, he knew she was still alive. "I know... so he was dead for... what... two years and you had no idea?" he swore under his breath when she shook her head.

"Even in the face of death, he couldn't even acknowledge me as his, he couldn't even find it in him to care that he had two other children out there and-"

"It could be that none of us are his."

"I guessed that about me... but I don't understand...?"

"I found out about me by complete accident. I was sort of... drifting between sleep when I remember our mother talking to someone... whoever she was talking to said Frex wasn't my father, but someone she met during their courtship. Of course, when they found out she was pregnant, they had to rush through a wedding so it wouldn't be suspicious, and it worked." he shrugged. "I don't think that she was ever truly happy with him after that."

She nodded slowly. "And me...?" She almost didn't want to know the answer.

"You... you're a complete mystery. I remember there was a lot of parties being held... most of them for no apparent reason, at least to my childish brain. There was always one man who kept showing up to every single one and he kept giving her drinks. I'm sure they fell into bed together even with Frex under the same roof. If not a bed then... well you get the idea."

She coughed slightly at that. "Yeah... forest floors are not comfortable..." she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "And Nessa was a result of an affair with a stable hand." he finished. "Of course, there is no physical proof but... her actions speak for themselves."

"I... wow... I always knew she wasn't exactly shy about herself but..."

The siblings continued their conversation as they walked around the snow-covered park and eventually came back to the carriage. Shell assisted his sister in first where she sat beside Fiyero, and he climbed in after her.

The prince woke up from his nap when he felt the carriage jostle with the new movement. "Hey..." he yawned.

"Sleep well then?" her tone was teasing but her question was genuine.

"Mhm." he hummed and tipped his head to kiss her.

She smiled softly and nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "We talked a lot while we were out there..."

"But there's still a few things we have to work out." Shell added, glancing out of the window as the carriage started to move.

"There's still time for that." Elphaba reminded him with a tired look. She knew where he was headed, and she didn't like it and didn't have the patience to deal with her abused past.

Shell knew when to keep his mouth shut, even now, years later, he remembered her temper, and he wouldn't put her under any further stress. "I know... I'm just saying that you don't have to carry it alone, that's all."

She nodded again and closed her eyes. "Shell?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, but please shut up."

He chuckled then. "Fine."


End file.
